CR Gazette –
Should Iowans care if convicted felons ever get back their right to vote in this state? We think so. But what’s the right approach? Is it:
— Automatic restoration of voting rights once a felon has finished prison time, parole and probation, as former Gov. Tom Vilsack instated in 2005.
— Or, current Gov. Terry Branstad’s executive order to reinstate an application process, which he used in his previous administrations before winning re-election to a fifth term in 2010. It requires the felon to provide a full credit report or documentation that all fines and court costs and victim restitution has been paid.
We think there’s a better, fairer process somewhere between those extremes.
Vilsack did away with the application process and restored voting rights for up to 100,000 ex-felons. He was on the right track by establishing a more non-political procedure. One that was simpler and less time consuming than the application and review procedures that can take six months or longer.
But questions lingered about accountability. The Muscatine County Attorney’s Office, for example, quickly filed a petition that claimed Vilsack’s overstepped his authority to issue a blanket clemency while not accounting for fines and restitution.
Branstad’s order reinstated an application requirement that aims at making sure all the felon’s debts, not just the prison and parole/probation time, are paid. That seems fair, at first glance.
However, problems with that system have surfaced. An Associated Press review shows that of 8,000 felons who have completed their prison sentences and community supervision since Branstad’s reversal order, fewer than a dozen have successfully completed the application process and regained their rights. The process also requires applicants to supply a criminal history report at their expense.
Critics say the entire procedure is too onerous, is financially unrealistic because most released felons are poor and discourages felons from reintegrating as contributing members of society.
Only three other states require an application process. Even Kentucky, Florida and Virginia don’t require a credit report. The vast majority of states, 38, allow most felons to automatically regain their voting rights once their sentences are completed. Maine and Vermont never take away those rights.
We think there’s still justification for suspending voting rights if you commit a major crime against society. But once felons have served their time and also demonstrate a good-faith effort is in place to repay their debts, why should society not want to encourage them to stay on the right track by being more engaged in the community — which includes the act of voting? That’s good for everyone.
Yes, let’s let all the druggies decide which cartel jefes will run our country.
Peter-at the risk of being chastiszed I think I must agree with you on this issue. I have often thought about the waste we create with some of our laws that target a segment of the population. Although I am not a drug user and never have been I have some friends that were or maybe still are. Thses were not bad people and were business people and business owners who used the drugs for stricty recreational users. They did not sell drugs for profit. I will say it again, legalize it, tax it and control it and we will make a lot of money off it and eliminate a lot of criminal activity. Just makes sense to me. Our jails are full of people that really did nothing but smoke a little pot. They clog up the system and keep these young people from ever becoming productive citizen’s that can get a job and pay taxes.
Fact is, the majority of them would not vote.
Why should they have that right back? They lost it when they commited the crime. They knew they were committing a crime. I don’t buy the young dumb kid rationalization.
And eliminating the voters? There are more births annually than convicted felons; so the voter pool will always grow.
Don’t commit the crime or crimes? The majortiy of the population can handle that.
It really doesn’t matter anyway. Our government is owned by the military industrial complex. The absurd dog and pony show that they put on will not change, even if felons are allowed to vote.
Someonoe has educated themselves….
The funny thing about it; there are many books out there with FACTS about the “shadow GOV”
People don’t know about them or care because they are manipulated by the media; the same media that is controled to a certain extent by and through the CIA. It’s called propaganda; and our GOV has a PhD in it…
Why do they deserve to get that right back? Who says?
Why should citizen A, that has been a law abiding, tax paying citizen for say 30 years, have to share the same voting right with a felon that lost that right becaue of the choice or choices he or she made?
I suppose Obama will try this next now that they have shut down Acorn. Can’t wait to see the black panthers out in front of the polling stations with there clubs.