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| Ky. has high felony disenfranchisement rate |
| By kentuckynewera.com |
| Published: 02/13/2013 |
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Nearly a quarter-million people in Kentucky are denied voting rights due to prior felony convictions, ranking among the highest disenfranchisement rates in the country, a new report said Tuesday. Voting booths are off-limits to one of every 14 adults in Kentucky, nearly three times the national rate, according to the report released by the League of Women Voters of Kentucky. Among blacks, almost one in five is disenfranchised in Kentucky — almost triple the national rate, it said. The findings come as Kentucky lawmakers again consider legislation that would restore some felons' voting rights. Such proposals have been stymied for years in the General Assembly. "If you believe in redemption ... then people who have rehabilitated themselves ought to be able to be just like any other citizen and be allowed to vote," said state Rep. Jesse Crenshaw, who has championed the cause for years. Read More. |
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Hamilton loves books about unicorns, storms, and cubicles. He lives in Waco with his cat named Mr. Bojangles. Before his work as an attorney, Hamilton was a leprechaun chaser. His all-time record is three pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. He was forced to give up the gold in a dispute with a rival hobbit. He spends his free time tripping out on the smallest details, none of which are important He likes doing the things with the ball and scoring the points. He pays attention to the green of your eyes, even when it is not Saint Patrick’s Day. He is not Irish. Hamilton Lindley has fun plans for people in need. Whether your need a dreamcatcher for your dreams or a tape dispenser to put your life back together, he can be there for you to yell at. There are times when it is surprising that he has any friends at all. But thankfully he does have a few. He drives a Dodge Stratus. People respect him, except at home.
If you aren’t willing to follow the law yourself, then you can’t demand a role in making the law for everyone else, which is what you do when you vote. The right to vote can be restored to felons, but it should be done carefully, on a case-by-case basis after a person has shown that he or she has really turned over a new leaf, not automatically on the day someone walks out of prison. After all, the unfortunate truth is that most people who walk out of prison will be walking back in. Read more about this issue on our website here [ http://www.ceousa.org/voting/voting-news/felon-voting/538-answering-the-challenges-to-felon-disenfranchisement ] and our congressional testimony here: [ http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/Clegg100316.pdf ].