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When and how to restore the vote is in the courts and in the Legislature.
Fueled by close elections and a controversial effort to purge criminals from state voter rolls, ex-felon voting rights is a contentious issue in Florida. It's the subject of a recent clemency rule change by Gov. Jeb Bush and draft legislation in the Florida House and Senate. Groups like the ACLU, NAACP and the League of Women Voters are also collecting signatures to put a measure on the ballot to restore voting rights to ex-felons. On Tuesday, a state lawmaker, an ACLU representative and a pair of ex-felons, including Lorenzo, discussed how convicted criminals should have their rights restored. State Rep. Ronald Reagan, R-Bradenton, said the governor's new standard is a good start. It allows many ex-felons who have been arrest-free for five years to get their rights back without a hearing. They still have to apply to the Clemency Board. The rule change is expected cut a backlog of about 4,000 applications by one- third. "Do your time, do your probation, become a productive member of society and we will restore your civil rights," said Reagan. Grissam Walker, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the change doesn't go far enough. He said a felon should get his rights back automatically after getting out of jail and off probation. "That person should be back in society," he said. "If it was automatic, it wouldn't waste anyone's time." Walker said he would like to see a proposal on the ballot to amend the state Constitution, reinstating felons' voting rights when they're released from prison. But he said he'd rather see the legislature make a change. Lawmakers in Tallahassee will consider bills this year that would automatically restore voting rights for ex-felons one year after their sentencing obligations are met. [more]