Current:Home > StocksNebraska lawmakers pass a bill to restore voting rights to newly released felons -WealthGrow Network
Nebraska lawmakers pass a bill to restore voting rights to newly released felons
View
Date:2025-04-15 15:23:41
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill Thursday to restore of voting rights of those convicted of felonies upon the completion of their sentences, including prison and parole time.
The bill, introduced for years by Omaha state Sen. Justin Wayne, passed by a wide margin in the last year of Wayne’s second term. He is barred by term limits from running this year for a third term.
Currently, a person who has been convicted of a felony must wait two years after completing all the terms of their conviction before regaining voting rights. Wayne’s measure eliminates that waiting period, established in 2005 by the Legislature. Prior to the waiting period, a person convicted of a felony lost their right to vote indefinitely.
The passage of the bill “means everything for the thousands of people who have not been full participants in society,” said TJ King, a Lincoln, Nebraska-based outreach specialist with the Nebraska AIDS Project who was unable to vote in the 2022 general election after coming off probation for drug and theft convictions three months earlier.
King said the bill’s passage is the final layer in his ability to be civically engaged and “have a full voice and complete connection to the community.”
For years, Wayne’s effort to restore voting rights for felons faced opposition from several Republicans in the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature. Opponents maintained that a two-year waiting period is reasonable and served as a deterrent to committing crime in the first place.
Until this year, Wayne’s closest brush with success came in 2017, when his bill was passed by the Legislature but vetoed by then-Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts.
He prevailed by appealing to the practical sensibilities of law-and-order lawmakers.
“Studies have shown that if you allow people to engage in their community upon being released, the recidivism rate drops,” Wayne said during a public hearing for the bill last year. “We spend on average $42,000 a year on prisoners, of which we have around a 30 percent recidivism rate.
“One year, I brought in a little chart that says if we just cut it by 10 percent, we’re saving around $5 million a year.”
Republican Gov. Jim Pillen’s office did not immediately respond to messages Thursday by The Associated Press asking whether he would sign the bill into law.
Restoring the voting rights of former felons has drawn national attention in recent years. In Florida, lawmakers weakened a 2018 voter-approved constitutional amendment to restore the voting rights of most convicted felons. Following that, an election police unit championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis arrested 20 former felons. Several of them said they were confused by the arrests because they had been allowed to register to vote.
In Tennessee, lawmakers on Wednesday killed a bipartisan bill for the year that would have let residents convicted of felonies apply to vote again without also restoring their gun rights.
——
Associated Press writer Gary Fields contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.
veryGood! (955)
Related
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Iowa star Caitlin Clark declares for WNBA draft, will skip final season of college eligibility
- Assistant director says armorer handed gun to Alec Baldwin before fatal shooting of cinematographer
- Bradley Cooper says he wasn't initially sure if he 'really loved’ his daughter Lea De Seine
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- NFL 40 times tracker: Who has the fastest 40-yard dash at 2024 scouting combine?
- Cyberattack on UnitedHealth still impacting prescription access: These are threats to life
- Maui County officials select final disposal site for debris from Lahaina wildfire
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Alaska governor threatens to veto education package that he says doesn’t go far enough
Ranking
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Maryland State House locked down, armed officers seen responding
- Prince William condemns antisemitism at London synagogue: 'We can't let that keep going'
- Sydney Sweeney surprised her grandmas with guest roles in new horror movie 'Immaculate'
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- South Korea launches legal action to force striking doctors back to work
- Ex-NFL star Adrian Peterson's trophy auction suspended amid legal battle
- Shemar Moore kisses audience member in shocking moment on 'The Jennifer Hudson Show': Watch
Recommendation
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
Cause of death for Adam Harrison, son of 'Pawn Stars' creator Rick Harrison, is released
Staggering action sequences can't help 'Dune: Part Two' sustain a sense of awe
Tyreek Hill's lawyer denies claims in lawsuit, calls allegations 'baseless'
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
There's a new 'Climate Reality Check' test — these 3 Oscar-nominated features passed
Cat Janice, singer with cancer who went viral for dedicating song to son, dies at age 31
Family of Cuban dissident who died in mysterious car crash sues accused American diplomat-turned-spy