Dist. Judge upholds Vilsack's order that ex-cons vote

[CornField]

On Friday, Muscatine County District Judge J. Hobart Darbyshire confirmed Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack had the authority to issue a July 4 executive order which automatically restores voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences. The ruling came following a lawsuit filed by Muscatine Attorney Gary Allison, a republican.

Allison, in a unique move for a republican, did not immediately blame 'activists judges' for his spoiled day in court. He told the Associated Press that he did not believe he would be filing an appeal, but would turn the issue back over to the Iowa Legislature in the next session (which begins Jan. 6).

Prior to Vilsack's order, felons had to apply individually for clemency. It was a lengthy and expensive proposition for Iowa taxpayers and included an investigation by the parole board and a review by the governor. Iowa, prior to the order, was one of only four states that had not put in place an automatic process for restoration of voting rights. The other three are Florida, Kentucky and Virginia.

Let's here it for our fellow republicans! Instead of pushing matters which really matter to most Iowans in the next session like verifiable voting paper trails, they prefer to spend their time pushing trying to push Iowa back into an neanderthal beauracacy which only benefits their narrow political posturing.