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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsKoch-Backed Group Supports Voting Rights for Felons in Florida
Freedom Partners, an organization with close ties to the conservative Koch Brothers, has backed a proposal to restore voting rights to non-violent convicted felons in Florida. The group, which is chaired by Koch Industries Vice President Mark Holden, announced in a Thursday press release that it was backing the measure known as Amendment 4 on the Florida ballot. We believe that when individuals have served their sentences and paid their debts to society as ordered by a judge, they should be eligible to vote, the organization said in a statement. In the Sunshine State, Floridians are permanently excluded from voting because of a prior felony convictionone of only four states with a lifetime ban. If we want people returning to society to be productive, law-abiding citizens, we need to treat them like full-fledged citizens. It was not immediately clear if Freedom Partners planned to give financial support to the Second Chances campaign. Floridians for a Fair Democracy, which is sponsoring the amendment, says it has raised $14.3 million so far.
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https://www.thedailybeast.com/koch-backed-group-supports-voting-rights-for-felons-in-florida
genxlib
(5,528 posts)Would not expect the Kochs to fall on that side of the equation but props if they do.
John Oliver did a great segment on that issue just this past week. It especially highlights how big an asshole Rick Scott is.
This has always been unfair but it is getting worse. In some cases, the "crimes" that they were arrested for are no longer even illegal. As legalization of pot sweeps the nation, I wonder if we will ever be able to see the injustice of continuing to punish people for something that wasn't even serious enough to stay illegal.
peekaloo
(22,977 posts)It highlights why Scott should NOT be in the Senate.
genxlib
(5,528 posts)In a just world, he would have a criminal record for stealing money from Medicare.
He should be on the other side of that panel begging to get his voting rights back.
Are you in Florida? Those ads Scott produced accusing Nelson, as a Senator, of stealing from SS and Medicare were jaw dropping and proves Scott is iron-y deficient.
genxlib
(5,528 posts)I am mostly able to avoid the ads due to the magic of the DVR. But I have seen enough of them to know they are sickening.
He needs to be smacked down every time he mentions the word. I especially like this ass kicking from Donna Shalala
Link to tweet
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