Great editorial in favor of restoring voting rights

An editorial published in the New York Times strongly endorses proposed federal legislation that would restore voting rights (at least for federal elections) to millions of ex-offenders who have been released from prison.

The editorial describes the origins of many state laws that bar former felons from voting.

"Many of the laws disenfranchising former criminals date back to the post-Civil War era and were used to prevent freed slaves from voting. These laws still have a significant racial impact. About 13 percent of black men in this country are denied the right to vote by criminal disenfranchisement laws, more than seven times the rate for the population as a whole."

The statement by the paper also underscores many of the arguments made recently by KFTC members and supporters of HB 70, a proposed constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to former felons in Kentucky who have served their sentence. The editorial states:

"There is no good reason to deny former prisoners the vote. Once they are back in the community — paying taxes, working, raising families — they have the same concerns as other voters, and they should have the same say in who represents them.

Disenfranchisement laws also work against efforts to help released prisoners turn their lives around. Denying the vote to ex-offenders, who have paid their debt, continues to brand them as criminals, setting them apart from the society they should be rejoining."

Here in Kentucky, time is running out for the state Senate to take action on HB 70 during the 2010 legislative session. The bill remains in the Senate State and Local Government Committee, whose chairman, Senator Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown), has refused to allow it to be called for a vote. But we've come too far to let up now.

Call Senator Thayer today (dial 502-564-8100 and ask to be connected to his office) and respectfully ask the chairman to allow a vote on HB 70 when his committee meets this Wednesday.

Then join us in Frankfort if you can on Wednesday March 24 at noon in Room 154 to attend the final regular meeting of Senator Thayer's committee.