Republicans block ex-cons from voting in biggest swing state

Michael Sasso, Bloomberg News on Jun 22, 2019

MIAMI -- Florida's reputation as America's tightest -- and wildest -- swing state should stay intact, as a battle over felons' voting rights seems destined for the courts. At the least, it's increasingly looking like Florida's 1.4 million disenfranchised ex-convicts won't be the potent voting bloc they might've been.

Seven months ago, almost two-thirds of voters approved Amendment 4, which restores registration rights to many felons. Florida had been one of three states, along with Kentucky and Iowa, where those convicted of a felony were permanently prohibited from registering without going through a lengthy clemency process, and many saw Floridians' vote as bringing the state into the U.S. mainstream. Only those convicted of murder and sexual offenses still are excluded.

However, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign a bill within days that critics say will blunt much of Amendment 4's effect. The bill passed by the Republican-led Legislature would require felons to pay off restitution, court fees and fines before registering -- a move that voting rights advocates say could have a chilling effect. So far, the number of former inmates who have visited a local supervisor of elections office to register has been a modest 2,000, according to one estimate.

"There's just no way to get around the fact that the Legislature did everything it could to undermine Amendment 4," Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. "I don't think it's consistent with the will of the voters, and it's not consistent with the text of Amendment 4."

Voting rights and civil liberties advocates mounted a well-funded campaign ahead of last year's midterm elections to pass the voting rights amendment. A group called the Second Chances Florida campaign won over Floridians with stories of how ex-convicts -- renamed as "returning citizens" -- were eager to move beyond their troubled past. Behind the scenes, a political committee called Floridians for a Fair Democracy collected almost $27 million in checks and in-kind donations, according to state election records.

Several progressive groups and individuals gave six or seven figures to the cause, including the ACLU, the Washington-based Sixteen Thirty Fund and ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's. It also won the endorsement of some conservative-leaning groups, including the Koch brothers-linked Freedom Partners, while a small group of critics gave Amendment 4 only token opposition.

Poster Comment:

Only 1 in 4 blacks are felons in Florida? It sounds a bit low balled to me. Chicago is a lot higher.