Jeb Bush urged to restore felons' rights
/The Florida Legislature may tackle the
state's troubled clemency system, starting with a plea by influential
Republicans to the governor to automatically restore the rights of
felons. Two powerful Republican lawmakers are urging Gov. Jeb Bush to
restore civil rights to felons who have completed their sentences --
and have vowed to support a voter referendum to end Florida's
137-year-old ban altogether if the governor refuses. Sen. Stephen Wise,
a Jacksonville Republican and chairman of the criminal justice
committee, said the Legislature could put an amendment on the ballot
that would permanently eliminate the ban from the Florida Constitution
if a majority of voters approves. 'I think it has great potential,'' he
said. ``If our committee would do it, then we could get this [idea] out
of the Legislature and get it onto a statewide ballot. Its time has
come.'' The idea also has the backing of Senate Majority Leader Alex
Villalobos, a Miami Republican. ''If the governor doesn't change it,
perhaps the people of the state of Florida should get involved and
change it, and I support that concept,'' he said. The comments by Wise
and Villalobos bring bipartisan support to an issue pushed for years by
a small group of African-American Democrats. Florida is one of seven
states that strip felons of their civil rights for life unless the
Clemency Board, composed of the governor and Cabinet, restores them.
The state Constitution gives the Board complete authority over who
regains rights, including the right to vote and serve on a jury. ' [more]
- Convicted felons vote in Washington [more]
