Florida Voted to Give Ex-Felons the Franchise. Now Republicans Are Throwing a Wrench in That Process

[KelleyKramer]

Republicans absolutely HATE a voting democracy. Just look at what they are doing right now in NC, Wis, Mich, Ga, Fla and other parts of the country. Republicans will do anything, both legal and illegal, to stop Americans from voting.

Republicans hate Americans voting more than anything else, they hate it more than they hate billionaires having to pay taxes, they hate it more than they hate Americans being able to go to the doctor when sick

And I will NEVER again allow a Republican say they support our troops. Our troops put their life on the line and fight for what Republicans hate the most.. freedom and democracy

This is just disgusting....





Florida Voted to Give Ex-Felons the Franchise. Now Republicans Are Throwing a Wrench in That Process.

Florida’s GOP elections chief is resisting implementation of the ballot initiative to expand voting rights.


https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/12/florida-voted-to-give-ex-felons-the-franchise-now-republicans-are-throwing-a-wrench-in-that-process/


?w=990


A month after Florida voters approved a measure to restore the franchise to about 1.4 million former felons—the largest expansion of voting rights in decades—a battle over implementing that change is already beginning. The state’s Republican elections chief is resisting swift implementation of the measure, which was approved by nearly 65 percent of Florida voters on November 6 and is scheduled to take effect on January 8. He’s asking the state Legislature, dominated by Republicans, to interpret the ballot initiative. As a result, the dismantling of one of the harshest disenfranchisement schemes in the country could be subject to delays, confusion, and lawsuits.

To those who crafted Amendment 4, the ballot language was straightforward. It read, “This amendment restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation.” It stipulated an exception for people convicted of murder or a sexual offense.

“On January 8, anybody who has completed the terms of their sentence for an offense other than murder or felony sexual assault had their rights restored by the voters on Election Day,” said Howard Simon, who as director of the Florida ACLU helped craft and shepherd Amendment 4 to passage. But Simon, who retired last week after 21 years leading the Florida ACLU, predicted that there might be trouble ahead. “I’m not naive,” he said in an interview with Mother Jones on the day he stepped down. He predicted that the state Legislature, which does not convene until March 5, might try to muddy the waters. Legislation could bog down rights restoration or sow enough confusion that some ex-felons are deterred from registering.

This week, the first signs of obstruction arose. The secretary of state, Republican Ken Detzner, told the media on Tuesday that he believes the ballot language is unclear and, rather than give guidance to the elections supervisors, he wants the state Legislature to weigh in. “We need to get some direction from them as far as implementation and definitions—all the kind of things that the supervisors were asking,” he said. “It would be inappropriate for us to charge off without direction from them.”


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[Late Knight]

1. That's Odd.....

...since several Republicans are likely to be convicted felons in the near future.

[brush]

2. Exile repugs and their evilness to an island and let them ply their dirty tricks on each other.

They really shouldn't be allowed to continue to subvert our voter and our democracy.

[J_William_Ryan]

3. Hence the reprehensible right.

[still_one]

4. I would think if this is the case it should be contested all the way to the SC