Proposal Would Let Nebraska Felons Vote
Current Law Allows Only Pardoned Felons To Vote In Nebraska
POSTED: 5:09 pm CST January 10, 2005
UPDATED: 8:20 pm CST January 10, 2005
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska's convicted felons could be voters in future elections if a new legislative proposal becomes law.
A new proposal would give felons the right to vote once they serve their time and walk out of the prison gates. State Sen. Dianna Schimek is the bill's sponsor. She said Nebraska is one of seven states that only allows felons to vote once they've been pardoned. Schimek said that raises racial concerns, because of the 12,000 convicted felons in the state, 10 percent are black men.
Schimek said it is also difficult to enforce the law preventing felons from voting. Election commissioners can't always track felons.
Jim Jones knows what it's like to have his voting rights stripped away. He served his time in prison for burglary, then waited another 10 years before being granted a full pardon. Jones now works with victims and offenders to repair damages caused by crime. He said voting is one giant step in that process of healing.
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