Civics Review

You have to love the legislative tactic of filing amendments just to gut a bill. Take for example House Bill 70, to voting rights to felons that have served their time.

Kentucky is one of three states (including Florida and Virginia) that do not automatically restore an ex-felon's voting rights. Florida appears to be in the process of leaving this small group.

(Florida Governor Charlie) Crist pushed through a change to that state's practice of denying former felons the right to vote, serve on juries and obtain state-issued licenses. After some compromising, he got two of his three colleagues on the board of executive clemency to approve a new policy that allows most felons to automatically regain these rights after serving their sentence and paying court-ordered restitution. Convicted murderers, sexual predators and people classified as violent career criminals still will have to undergo a protracted process before they can vote again……..

"I did it because it's the right thing to do," Crist told me of the change. "Political consequences are not a concern of mine. This is absolutely the right thing to do."

Now in Kentucky, Jeff Hoover has introduced a series of amendments to limit the restoration of rights freed felons, unlike Florida none of which seem to deal with violent criminals of sexual predators.

Hoover seems to be more concerned with pimps and drug dealers, which tells us he really isn’t about making a bill better, but more about gutting a bill before it gets passed.

I’m sure Jeff sees some fine line distinction between a pimp and a rapist, but isn’t the bottom line this?

The courts have passed a sentence for a crime. The person does the time. It’s wrong to add additional penalties after the fact.

These amendments are targeted to keep a disproportionately poor and black population from voting.

Here are the amendments:

HFA (1, J. Hoover) - Amend to add felons convicted of manslaughter in the first degree to the category of felons that would only have voting rights restored by executive pardon.

HFA (2, J. Hoover) - Amend to add felons convicted of promoting prostitution in the first degree or in the second degree trafficking to the category of felons that would only have voting rights restored by executive pardon.

HFA (3, J. Hoover) - Amend to add felons convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance within 1000 yards of a school to the category of felons that would only have voting rights restored by executive pardon.

HFA (4, J. Hoover) - Amend to add felons convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine to the category of felons that would only have voting rights restored by executive pardon.

HFA (5, A. Wuchner) - Amend to add to certain requirements that convicted felons receive a certificate of completion of a civics review course before the restoration of their voting rights.

Oh, and let us not forget HFA 5 from light weight Addia Wuchner, I really think this would be more appropriate as an additional requirement for filing to run for the General Assembly.