Why did Governor Charlie Crist expand the voting rights of felons?

In a Break From the Past, Florida Will Let Felons Vote

By ABBY GOODNOUGH
Published: April 6, 2007


MIAMI, April 5 — Gov. Charlie Crist persuaded Florida’s clemency board Thursday to let most felons easily regain their voting rights after prison, saying it was time to leave the “offensive minority” of states that uniformly deny ex-offenders such rights.

The change is a major step for Florida, which bans more people from the polls than any other state, but it did not go as far as Mr. Crist had hoped. Two of his fellow Republicans on the clemency board rejected his original plan to grant speedy restoration to everyone except murderers and sex criminals.

...Convicted murderers, sexual predators and “violent career criminals” will still need an investigation of their case and a hearing before the clemency board. Most will probably not regain the right to vote, serve on a jury or get jobs that require state licenses, like as a barber or nurse.

“This is Holy Week, a week that is all about forgiveness,” Mr. Crist said before the vote at a special meeting of the clemency board in Tallahassee. “Restoring civil rights is the right thing to do.”