Call in for Restoration of Voting Rights for People with Felonies in their Past

We’ve been pushing to restore voting rights of people with felonies in their past in Kentucky for 15 years. We’re closer now than ever, but some Senate Republicans are answering this call with voting rights legislation that doesn’t actually give anyone their right to vote back. It will come up for a vote in the Senate tomorrow (Tuesday, 2/25), so calls are needed urgently!

SB 62 gives the legislature the option, but not the mandate, to restore the right to vote for some Kentuckians at some time in the future. There are many exclusions – a broad and ill-defined set of people who aren’t eligible for restoration through this legislative action. And Senator Damon Thayer says that he will add a floor amendment so that no one’s right to vote is restored until 5 years after they've completed a sentence. SB 62 is a proposed constitutional amendment, so it would be on the ballot this year if it passes both houses. 

We want Kentuckians to have a say on a constitutional amendment that permanently respects the voting rights of all our friends, family and neighbors with a felony in their past. Rep. Charles Booker’s House Bill 6 does that. We oppose SB 62 because it falls far short: it doesn’t give anyone their right to vote back, its terms are ill defined and it will muddy the waters and make it harder to pass real, meaningful reform, like HB 6.

You can call in to oppose SB 62 and also voice your support for Rep. Charles Booker’s HB 6 to restore Voting Rights to all Kentuckians with a felony in their past.

ACTION: Take just 5 minutes to call the Legislative Message Line (800-372-7181) and leave a message to “OPPOSE SB 62 and SUPPORT HB 6.” Leave the message for “Senate Leadership,” “House Leadership,” and your own representative and senator (the operator can tell you who that is if you don’t know). The message line is open until 9 p.m. tonight.

Healthy Democracy Day March 4th – We’re having a Healthy Democracy Day in Frankfort including grassroots lobbying throughout the day and a rally at 1 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. We’ll promote restoration of voting rights for people with felonies in their past, speak out against mandatory photo ID laws, and for reforms like automatic voter registration, longer voting hours, independent redistricting and more. Our Democracy is worth investing in!  Here's the description of the the day along with the signup and the Facebook event link.