Restoration of Voting Rights Bill Filed

The Kentucky Restoration of Voting Rights for Former Felons bill (know in past years as House Bill 70) was prefiled a few days ago, by Representative Jesse Crenshaw in preparation for our lobbying efforts in Frankfort early in the coming year. 

Known temporarily as "BR 289," bill supporters hope it again retains it's number (HB 70) from previous General Assemblies so we can more easily pick up where we left off. 

BR 289 - Representative Jesse Crenshaw (11/20/08)

AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to persons entitled to vote.
Propose to amend Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky to exclude a convicted felon from the right to vote only until expiration of probation, final discharge from parole, or maximum expiration of sentence; submit to the voters for ratification or rejection.

 
AN ACT proposing an amendment to Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to persons entitled to vote.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

Section 1.     It is proposed that Section 145 of the Constitution of Kentucky be amended to read as follows:

  Every citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years who has resided in the state one year, and in the county six months, and the precinct in which he offers to vote sixty days next preceding the election, shall be a voter in said precinct and not elsewhere but the following persons are excepted and shall not have the right to vote.

      1.  Persons convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction of treason, or any felony which includes as an element of the offense the intentional killing of a human being not done under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance for which there exists a reasonable explanation or excuse, sexual contact with a minor, sexual intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse, or bribery in an election, or of such high misdemeanor as the General Assembly may declare shall operate as an exclusion from the right of suffrage, but persons hereby excluded may be restored to their civil rights by executive pardon. Persons convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction of any other felony shall operate as an exclusion from the right of suffrage until expiration of probation or final discharge from parole or maximum expiration of sentence, but persons hereby excluded may be restored to their civil rights earlier by executive pardon.

(...)

Section 2.   This amendment shall be submitted to the voters of the Commonwealth for their ratification or rejection at the time and in the manner provided for under Sections 256 and 257 of the Constitution and under KRS 118.415