Released felons gain right to vote in Maryland following veto override

The Baltimore Sun ^ | February 9, 2016 | Erin Cox

[House Atreides]

The Maryland Senate narrowly overrode Gov. Larry Hogan's final veto from last year's General Assembly session, paving the way to reinstate voting rights to felons before they complete probation or parole.

The 29-18 vote on Tuesday puts the law on the books 30 days from now and represents a political defeat for Hogan, a Republican. The bill was the sixth that Hogan vetoed last year, and the sixth the Democrat-controlled General Assembly reinstated.

The vote, twice delayed in order to muster enough support, followed an expansive debate that touched on resolving racial disparities in the criminal justice system and protecting victims of violent crime. Proponents argued voting would help felons rejoin society. The current system requires felons to complete probation and parole before registering to vote. Supporters of the law said that process was confusing and demoralizing to people trying to rebuild their lives.

[IYAS9YAS]

IYAS9YAS, what if with enough ex-cons voting, it tips the results in a referendum - changing the penalities for bank robbery for instance -to just 60 days in jail? Or, changing the penalities for the guy who rapes your mother on the kitchen floor IYAS9YAS - to just 90 days in jail. You ok with that?

If that is the law. Then yes. Again, if you cannot trust these people in society based on their crimes and the punishment paid, then why are they living in society to begin with, and not still incarcerated? If you do not allow those who have paid for their crimes to live freely, then you create second-class status, and a subset of society that is no longer equal under the law.

[knarf]

crunch the numbers .... forget the rhetoric about "all those" or "if every" .. or whatever

The released felonious criminal population compared to those that have no record are, by and large, very small

Laws placed upon laws within laws have made everybody a felon and all that is needed is for you to get caught and be tried

You may stay out of prison because yje charge was bogus ... but you're now a felon

THAT was the intent of that law passed in 1968 ( I forget what it is called ) ... but it's the one that forbade my 2nd ammendment rights ...

Which I don't need ...

'cause my guns lay at the bottom of a lake

[dfwgator]

If you don’t trust them to vote, they should still be in prison.

[rlmorel]

It is the law and those laws were put there by people who dealt more harshly with felons than we do today.

If it isn’t right or just, it should be changed by lawful processes.

But I don’t support just giving them back as soon as their sentence is up, or if they have been out of jail for a year or whatever.

But if enough people disagree with me, they are welcome to engage the legislative process to do so, although I suspect what we see here in MD is not the will of the people, but the will of a portion of the legislature.

This is the same state that thought nothing about giving looters “space” to loot. I lived there for a few years and have spent time in it since then, and it isn’t my favorite place.

[Mr Apple]

What cha say about that IYAS9YAS? Are there any posters here still in favor of allowing excons the right to vote considering what is posted in #51??
Now, what if such a referendum happens to pass. And in an election it passes...do we want our mothers to be raped on the floor - with the penalty being just 90 days in jail? - - - I think Not!!

[Mr Apple]

Well, you better tell your mom to make sure she locks her doors. (btw, lots of towel head rafugees on the way, so says obama)

[House Atreides]

Strange idea of Liberty you have there. Freedom for me but not for thee?
***********************************************************************
Well NOOB, did you sign up at Free Republic merely to focus attacks on Cruz & Trump?

[Mr Apple]

crunch the numbers .... forget the rhetoric...

Wait! What about that cold floor?? Huh. Want to take that chance??
Is your mom quick at running out of kitchens??

[knownfact]

Having a population of people unable to participate in civic life does nothing to improve a place, just saying. Driving already marginalized people further from the mainstream of life does nothing except create alienation. I suppose after you’ve driven people to the margins, you can then condemn them for dwelling there, so that’s convenient.

[PLMerite]

“Hopefully, these felons’ Second Amendment rights are also ‘reinstated’ by these goofballs. Maryland ‘deserves’ it.”

That’s coming, I’m sure. That’s why I’m un-assing this d-bag state as soon as I can.

[Trumpinator]

I think the 16 year old age has to do with the fact they are tax payers - at that age some teens have part time jobs. I would be OK with local elections open to 16 year olds - not life and death stuff like president or senator, etc. This way if kids vote for local dog catcher or if the park should have a dog walk, etc it will build civic responsibility and get the youth used to voting.

[rlmorel]

If you want it changed, change it.

If we enforced laws on the books, there might be less people driven to the margins, as you say.

So we have established there are certain “rights” under the Constitution that can be taken away, and for good reason.

You’re so passionate about it, do something.

I suppose you could exercise your civic rights to change laws, or you can condemn people who want people do abide by the laws, so that’s convenient.

[Mr Apple]

I don't even have to make any further posts against excons getting to vote.
I can go on to another thread now, and you three can read the KeyWords here and then give my queries more thought.

[rlmorel]

Or you could sit on your rear end on Internet forums being a keyboard warrior and condemning people. That’s pretty easy too.

[knarf]

Not only do I vote, I'm on the school board shutting down common core (as best I can having been elected after the fact)

But you don't have to worry about me having a gun ... it's at the bottom of a lake ...

[knarf]

there AREN’T “enough” ex-cons that even vote ( the kind you’re envisioning )... let alone tip the scales

[21twelve]

“I would be OK with local elections open to 16 year olds - “

That’s a great idea. The one team was saying how “we let kids drive a car where they could kill somebody, voting isn’t dangerous”.

My daughter didn’t get to respond, but thought “Vote the wrong person in and you could kill millions!”

[Trumpinator]

Yes - and for local small scale elections 16 years can vote can be seen as a form of training wheels for when they get older. So I am OK with some allowance for that.

[IYAS9YAS]

Well, you better tell your mom to make sure she locks her doors. (btw, lots of towel head rafugees on the way, so says obama)

Okay, thank you, bye-bye now.

[T Ruth]

"a LOT of good Americans were made to be felons by stupid laws and bad jurisprudence over the years"

The Democrats' stealth gun control tactic is to make everyone a felon.