Rand Paul wants to restore felons’ voting rights

[Timshel]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...d-paul-wants-to-restore-felons-voting-rights/

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Monday that he will work to restore the voting rights of convicted felons who have completed their sentences.
More from the Louisville Courier-Journal:


Speaking at a community center in western Louisville, Paul said laws should be changed to make it easier for felons to regain their rights to vote at both the state and federal levels.


Short of that, he suggested that “Class D” felonies for crimes like drug possession and non-payment of child support should be reclassified to misdemeanors so those who are convicted wouldn’t lose their voting rights in the first place.


Paul said a third of adult black men are convicted felons and that restoring their voting rights is the most important thing government can do to make sure people’s voting rights are protected.


Felon voting rights aren't exactly the issue du jour in Congress, but state lawmakers in Kentucky have proposed allowing convicted felons to vote after they've served their sentences -- something most states allow.


An automated poll earlier this year showed Kentuckians approved of that idea by a 51-38 margin.


Generally, though, Democrats are more in favor of allowing felons to vote while Republicans oppose the idea.


Paul has also pushed to get rid of mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, arguing that they disproportionately impact minorities and clog the jail system.

 

[/MSG/]

Paul is clearly a racist.

 

[Bonestorm]

Yet another instance of Ran Paul talking about things about which he will do nothing. It's a state law matter. If Rand Paul is so concerned about protecting voting rights he can start with getting his fellow Repbulicans who are oh so concerned about voting rights to amend the VRA.

 

[Timshel]

I think we should do away with these barriers just to eliminate the cost and potential corruption that goes into removing felons from the voter rolls. It's not a useful punishment or deterrent to crime and it is counterproductive to attempt to use it as one.

 

[Timshel]

Rand Paul Decries Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Likens War On Drugs To Jim Crow
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...nimum-laws_n_3949415.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

At a packed public hearing of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) compared the war on drugs to the racist policies of the Jim Crow era.


"If I told you that one out of three African-American males is forbidden by law from voting, you might think I was talking about Jim Crow 50 years ago," Paul said. "Yet today, a third of African-American males are still prevented from voting because of the war on drugs."


"The majority of illegal drug users and dealers nationwide are white," he said, "but three-fourths of all people in prison for drug offenses are African American or Latino."


Paul was arguing against mandatory minimum sentencing laws, which require judges and prosecutors to impose severe penalties against those convicted of low-level drug crimes.

 

[Jarod]

I agree with him regarding the drug convictions, disagree with him regarding child support. When a crime has a victim, its a serious crime.

 

[Liberty]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...d-paul-wants-to-restore-felons-voting-rights/

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Monday that he will work to restore the voting rights of convicted felons who have completed their sentences.
More from the Louisville Courier-Journal:


Speaking at a community center in western Louisville, Paul said laws should be changed to make it easier for felons to regain their rights to vote at both the state and federal levels.


Short of that, he suggested that “Class D” felonies for crimes like drug possession and non-payment of child support should be reclassified to misdemeanors so those who are convicted wouldn’t lose their voting rights in the first place.


Paul said a third of adult black men are convicted felons and that restoring their voting rights is the most important thing government can do to make sure people’s voting rights are protected.


Felon voting rights aren't exactly the issue du jour in Congress, but state lawmakers in Kentucky have proposed allowing convicted felons to vote after they've served their sentences -- something most states allow.


An automated poll earlier this year showed Kentuckians approved of that idea by a 51-38 margin.


Generally, though, Democrats are more in favor of allowing felons to vote while Republicans oppose the idea.


Paul has also pushed to get rid of mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, arguing that they disproportionately impact minorities and clog the jail system.

I like it.

 

[evince]

If you have paid your debt to society then you have paid your debt.

This has been USED to keep people from their rights far too long.


Let the people vote.


It is the best for our country.

No bullshit reasons for keeping us from democracy

 

[tekkychick]

I agree with him that the mandatory minimum laws suck. Read in "The Week" about a guy - friend wanted to buy some painkillers, the guy sold some of his extra to the friend. Turned out, the friend was a police informant; the guy got 25 yrs in jail. The informant got a reduced sentence of 18 months.

25 years for selling some painkillers? This guy wasn't a "drug dealer" he was just selling some to a friend.

And thus our prisons crowd up, cost us a LOT of money, and there's no reason for it.

And yes, felons who are released from prison should be able to vote. Heck, I wouldn't mind felons IN prison voting - who has more at stake in politics than they do?

 

[cawacko]

I agree with him that the mandatory minimum laws suck. Read in "The Week" about a guy - friend wanted to buy some painkillers, the guy sold some of his extra to the friend. Turned out, the friend was a police informant; the guy got 25 yrs in jail. The informant got a reduced sentence of 18 months.

25 years for selling some painkillers? This guy wasn't a "drug dealer" he was just selling some to a friend.

And thus our prisons crowd up, cost us a LOT of money, and there's no reason for it.

And yes, felons who are released from prison should be able to vote. Heck, I wouldn't mind felons IN prison voting - who has more at stake in politics than they do?

You think murders and rapists should be able to vote while in prison? That seems pretty aggressive to me.

We like to talk about uninformed voters out in the free world do we think prisoners are going to be informed in any way?

 

[wanderingbear]

I support Rand Paul on this,even though he's a republican.According to the constitution every citizen has the right to vote,no matter what.

 

[tekkychick]

You think murders and rapists should be able to vote while in prison? That seems pretty aggressive to me.

We like to talk about uninformed voters out in the free world do we think prisoners are going to be informed in any way?

They are still citizens; still have a vested interest in the govt of our country. And some of them are probably pretty well-informed; they have libraries in prison.

I don't think it will ever happen, but I wouldn't vote against it if asked.

If you went to jail for, let's say, embezzlement, wouldn't you still like to vote for president?

 

[cawacko]

They are still citizens; still have a vested interest in the govt of our country. And some of them are probably pretty well-informed; they have libraries in prison.

I don't think it will ever happen, but I wouldn't vote against it if asked.

If you went to jail for, let's say, embezzlement, wouldn't you still like to vote for president?

I have no problem with people regaining their right to vote once they've 'paid their debt to society'. But if a person wants to vote for President don't steal an old person's retirement money or steal from an organization you belong to. Or don't kill someone. Or rape someone. Or commit an armed robbery. If you are in jail for a felony you should have no right to vote.

 

[tekkychick]

I have no problem with people regaining their right to vote once they've 'paid their debt to society'. But if a person wants to vote for President don't steal an old person's retirement money or steal from an organization you belong to. Or don't kill someone. Or rape someone. Or commit an armed robbery. If you are in jail for a felony you should have no right to vote.

That's cool. I imagine most people agree with you. I happen to think people in jail have a unique view of the system that could give them a lot of ideas of what and who to vote for, and they should be represented just like any other constituency.

But like I say, I imagine I'm in the minority on this. More productive to advocate for the right to vote for ex-cons.