Title
A Resolution expressing support for and requesting that the Ky. General Assembly place before the voters of the Commonwealth an Amendment to Section 145 of the Ky. Constitution to grant automatic restoration of voting rights to persons convicted of a felony, other than treason, intentional killing, a sex crime or bribery, after expiration of probation, final discharge from parole or maximum expiration of sentence; and hereby notifying Governor Steve Beshear, Senate President Robert Stivers, House Speaker Greg Stumbo, and Fayette County’s Legislators of this Resolution. [Council Office, Maynard]
Body
WHEREAS, section 145 of the Kentucky Constitution provides that any person convicted of a felony shall not have the right to vote; and
WHEREAS, the only avenue for the restoration of voting rights for a citizen convicted of a felony is executive pardon by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky; and
WHEREAS, for purposes of this resolution, a “former felon” is a citizen convicted of a felony who has paid his/her debt to society by completing service of sentence, including expiration of probation or final discharge from parole; and
WHEREAS, presently over 243,000 citizens in Kentucky have been convicted of a felony, resulting in one of every fourteen adults being disenfranchised; and
WHEREAS, this constitutional barrier to voting disproportionately impacts low-income communities, and particularly communities of racial minorities, as almost one in every five African American adults are disenfranchised; and
WHERAS, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is currently one of only four states in the nation which does not allow for the automatic restoration of voting rights for former felons, joining Florida, Iowa and Virginia; and
WHEREAS, approximately 181,000 former felons, or 74 percent of the total disenfranchised population, are still unable to register to vote; and
WHEREAS, the legislative effort to allow for a process to restore voting rights for former felons i...
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