Florida's Racist New Law

[Judi Lynn]

Mansfield Frazier Mansfield Frazier – 30 mins ago

NEW YORK – A new Florida rule stops felons from voting long after they've served their time. Is it tough-on-crime posturing—or a way to keep Obama from winning the state in 2012?
By Mansfield Frazier

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with 1 out of every 32 Americans locked up or on probation or parole at any given time. But some lawmakers think that's not quite harsh enough.

Prisoner reentry was turned into a political football in Florida on Wednesday when newly elected Governor Rick Scott, at the urging of State Attorney General Pam Bondi, swiftly changed the rules governing when felons' rights are restored in the state after they're released from prison. Moving with speed characteristic of tin-horn dictators in banana republics, Scott and the Florida Cabinet imposed a five-year wait period on restoring many rights to individuals convicted of non-violent crimes, and a seven-year wait for those convicted of violent crimes. Additionally, those in the latter category must have a hearing before a clemency board which will determine if their civil and voting rights are to be restored. "Felons seeking restoration of civil rights demonstrate they desire and deserve clemency only after they show they're willing to abide by the law," Scott said.

But whether the move was simply tough-on-crime posturing or something more nefarious remains an open question. Howard Simon of the Florida ACLU recalls the hotly contested 2000 presidential election, in which George Bush carried the state by the slimmest of margins and was declared the victor only after the Supreme Court ruled in his favor. He suggests that the new law might have been designed to deny voting rights to as many people as possible before the 2012 presidential election. "The unseemly haste and lack of transparency suggests clearly that this was politics disguised as public policy," Simon said.

Cleveland State University Urban Studies Associate Professor Ronnie Dunn has written extensively on how, since the advent of the Jim Crow era, unfair laws have been enacted — particularly in southern states — to deny blacks the right to vote. Writing in a soon-to-be-released handbook on prisoner reentry, he describes how poll taxes, literacy tests, and property ownership were devices were routinely used to suppress the black vote and unfairly affect election outcomes.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/20110313/ts_dailybeast/12887_floridasracistnewlawstopsprisonersfomevoting_1

[DonCoquixote]

1. To all those "my vote don't count"

Florida was a close election, and Alex Sink was open to killing this idea. But now, IN TIME FOR 2012, we have this law in place, which Rick ready to either serve this country to the GOP or take it himself.

[RufusTFirefly]

2. Rethugs sure are covering all the bases, aren't they?

Busting unions, disenfranchising the poor. Controlling the discourse. Providing corporations with unprecedented advantages.
Nice, thorough job.

[Cobalt-60]

7. Its centrally controlled

There must be sme withered old prude on life suppoert giving the orders.

[ellenfl]

3. disenfranchising floridians is how dubya got elected the first time.

disenfranchising ex-felons was a big part of that. our new governor SHOULD be an ex-felon. this state better wake up.

ellen fl

[Fuddnik]

5. I disagree. He shouldn't be an ex-felon.

He should still be rotting away in a prison cell, instead of the Governors Mansion.

For the fraud he perpetrated, he should have been doing a very long stretch.

[ellenfl]

6. you'll get no argument from me on that.

i wonder how he would feel about this issue if HE was an ex-felon.

ellen fl

[jmowreader]

4. Question for the governor

What should be the waiting period before running for public office for people who resign from their jobs to avoid being indicted for Medicare fraud?