Florida is one of three states, along with Kentucky and Iowa, that bans someone for life from voting after they have served their time for a felony. That’s 1 in 10 Floridians, 1.7 million people, who are allowed to everything else accept vote. The GOP argues that these are violent criminals, but that’s just not true. Here in Florida, a felony can include buying cannabis or disturbing a lobster trap.
(Lucky for doctors and mental health professionals, asking about gun ownership during a discussion on potential patient safety risks is
no longer illegal thanks to a recent decision by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.)
- women could no longer update their names at the polls;
- college students could no longer update their new addresses;
- voters could be challenged for any reason and could not receive legal help while in line;
- people who register people to vote had to turn in the forms within 48 hours or get a $1000 fine
The rat bastard even took bathrooms away in Democratic Miami-Dade.
So let’s say you commit a felony— you mess with your car’s odometer. You get caught, convicted, and received a sentence/probation. After you served your time, you want to apply for clemency. Thanks to Rick Scott:
- First, you must wait 5-7 years just to apply.
- Then, you must wait for a decade-long backlog.
- Then, you must travel to the state capitol building for a hearing, chaired by the governor, where you are almost guaranteed to get it rejected
It’s that last one where Rick Scott takes particular glee in humiliating those seeking their civil rights. He asks you to give him “your pitch” on being restored to a full citizen. Samantha Bee showcased a few clips below (starts at 1:25 mark)
I hope that pissed you off. It did me.
Now for the good news.
Florida does not allow citizen ballot initiatives, but citizens are allowed to amend the state constitution by supermajority (60%). There is a movement to amend the state constitution to have voting rights restored for people who have served their time.
Two grassroots organizations, the Floridians for a Fair Democracy and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, are very close to getting this put before voters next election.
How close? With less than a month left, they are 85% of the way there.
Here is where I make the pitch for you to go help: florida.ourstates.org
If you are in Florida, sign the petition. If you are not, send it to your Florida friends and share on social media.
You must sign and submit by February 1, 2018.
The GOP is pulling out all the stops to keep this from happening. Rick Scott has his own reasons—he made no secret the fact that he wants to run for office again (Senate). All of those people Rick Scott humiliated could be getting their rights back soon---not from Rick, but from the citizens of Florida.
Rick and his party have made about 1.7 million enemies. If even a quarter of them exercise their right to vote---(along with the million Puerto Ricans who just arrived here seething at Donald Trump)--the GOP dominance of Florida will be finished.
It’s long-past time we make them pay.
