Kemp Says Ex-Felons Should Be Able to Vote

[FUZO]

TweetKemp Says Ex-Felons Should Be Able to Vote


WASHINGTON - Jack Kemp, the former Republican vice presidential candidate and HUD secretary, urged Congress on Tuesday to require states to restore voting rights for felons once they complete their sentences.


Kemp, who was Bob Dole's running mate in 1996, made the recommendation during the first in a series of hearings about the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits literacy tests, poll taxes and other infringements on minority voting.

Some key provisions of the 40-year-old law expire in 2007. One requires areas with a history of discrimination to get federal approval before changing their election laws.

Congress is expected to extend that provision for 25 years, but the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on the Constitution is trying to determine whether the law should be tweaked.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., stirred the lone moment of dissent among witnesses with his suggestion that Congress should amend the act to guarantee voting rights for ex-felons.

"It's important, if we're going to call ourselves a democracy, that everybody more or less have the right to vote," Nadler said.

Kemp quickly endorsed the idea, pointing out that minorities are disproportionately charged with felonies.

"My answer is unambiguously yes," said Kemp, a former congressman from New York, one of a handful of states that restores voting rights to criminals once they complete their prison term or probation. "It is a restriction that needs to be modified."

Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Joe Rogers, a member of a national commission on the Voting Rights Act, disagreed. He said states should be able to set their own requirements and argued that the number of felons isn't high enough to influence elections.

Besides the section requiring federal clearance for some states and localities to change their voting laws, two other key provisions are expiring in 2007. One requires foreign language assistance at the polls, and another allows for federal election observers to be used to deter intimidation of minority voters.

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[T-Man007]

TweetI agree, if they have served their time.

[LilFella]

Tweet Yeah some people never let you forget what you have done in your past(im not a felon...lol) I was listening to the radio a few days ago and there was a guy who served like 18 years for killing some guy in a bar fight and spent the last few years of his sentence going to school to be an attorney. He passed the bar exam and all and they still won't let him be an attorney because of some moral values policy in his state. I guess he should have done his homework, but it does send a bad message to felons that want to rehabilitate themselves upon release. Anyways i am rambling, I agree w/ t-man If they have served thier time let em vote

[T-Man007]

Tweet

Yeah some people never let you forget what you have done in your past(im not a felon...lol) I was listening to the radio a few days ago and there was a guy who served like 18 years for killing some guy in a bar fight and spent the last few years of his sentence going to school to be an attorney. He passed the bar exam and all and they still won't let him be an attorney because of some moral values policy in his state. I guess he should have done his homework, but it does send a bad message to felons that want to rehabilitate themselves upon release. Anyways i am rambling, I agree w/ t-man If they have served thier time let em vote

Dude, that f***ing sucks! He passed the bar exam and they wont let him practice. He needs to go to a more Liberal state then, they will let him practice somewhere. I heard there are over 50 felons on capital hill right now. Our congress is full of people who have committed theft, assult, etc... He should be able to practice if he's aquired the education to do so. IMO