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Dems Push Felon Vote Bill
The Trentonian ^

Posted on 02/24/2003 5:03:18 AM PST by Sub-Driver

A bill in the State Assembly aimed at loosening voting requirements to allow convicted felons the right to vote is scheduled for a vote this afternoon. The bill, A-584, sponsored by Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-Trenton, Gordon Johnson, D-Englewood, and Donald Tucker, D-Newark, would allow anybody in the state of New Jersey who is currently on parole or probation the right to enter a voting booth and cast a ballot, just like any law abiding citizen.

"It’s just bizarre. I just don’t understand where they’re coming from, other then the tune of politics in it," said Sen. Peter Inverso, R-Hamilton.

Currently, state law bars anyone convicted of a felony from voting until they have completed their parole or probation.

But not all Democrats are supporting the measure, including Robert Smith, D- Washington Twp., an attorney and Gary Guear, D-Hamilton, a retired Trenton Police Detective and former police union president.

I’m not supporting it for obvious reasons," Guear said. "I don’t believe they should be voting, but once they’ve completed their sentences and are once again eligible I don’t see a problem with any citizen casting a vote."

"My inclination is to say no," Robert Smith, D-Washington Twp., told the Gloucester County Times for yesterday’s editions. "It doesn’t make sense. If you’re in the custody of the state, there are some rights you give up." The Bill makes no difference between a convicted murderer, rapist, embezzler or a wife-beater-- all would be eligible to vote.

"We should be tough on crime and tough on criminals," George Geist, R-Gloucester Township told the Gloucester County Times for yesterday’s editions. "This bill is horrible. I think we should respect the law abiding and condemn the criminals."

Geist said he plans to filibuster the proposal this afternoon

The legislation would take the responsibility of distributing voter registration forms out of the hands of the Secretary of State and place the burden on the state’s Attorney General

The bill further mandates the Commissioner of Corrections, State Parole Officers and the chief probation officer in all 21 counties to distribute to every probation officer in that county office voter registration forms to solicit every probationer in the caseload.

The bill requires that every probation, parole or corrections officer would be required to ask if a probationer wanted to register to vote, and to assist that person in filling out the form. If the probationer declined to register, the probation officer would be required to get the probationer to fill out a declination form that would become a part of the probationer’s permanent file.

The bill would also require county election boards to provide voter registration assistance to anyone on parole, probation, and inmates nearing the completion of their sentence and set for release from prison.

Currently, New Jersey residents have few requirements to meet to be eligible to vote in an election.

A person must be registered with election officials and be a United States citizen at least 18 years old, who lived at his/her address for at least the last 30 days.

That’s it - nothing more, except that to vote in New Jersey you cannot be a convicted felon serving a prison sentence, on probation or on parole.

Assembly Republicans are steaming over the proposed legislation, after a press release from Assembly Speaker Albio Sires declaring the focus of this afternoon’s voting session will be on "Defending our families."

In a prepared statement from the Assembly Republican office asked, "Does this mean that Speaker Sires believes that by allowing to vote those felons who have committed violent crimes against their fellow citizens and our society as a whole, that we will be defending our families?"

"Certainly not the families of victims for whom this legislation is clearly a slap in the face," Assembly Republicans answered in their own statement.Do victims’ families really feel their rights are being defended by allowing the perpetrators of those crimes to decide who will make and enforce laws these criminals have already chosen to ignore?"

If the bill passes the Assembly today, it would move on to the Senate where a 20-20 split between Democrats and Republicans could bring closer scrutiny of the legislation.

"I’m not inclined to support this bill if it makes it the Senate," Inverso said

The bill is just one of nearly 4-dozen other bills that are being crammed into this afternoon’s voting session that will include several Bills to strengthen Megan’s Law in New Jersey sponsored by Guear and his 14th Legislative District partner Linda Greenstein, and a measure that would require all criminals to provide DNA samples.

Several area residents weighed in on the issue yesterday.

"I think we should be able to vote," said George Barry, a Trenton resident who admitted he has a conviction record. "My vote should count for something, I live in this country."

Barry said it’s unfair that some people who get convicted for smaller crimes get this right taken away from them

"Definitely," a state employee who declined to give his name answered when asked if he thought felons should have the right to vote once they’re released. "I think we disenfranchise to many voters."

"I don’t think they should be allowed to vote," Bobby Jo of Trenton said. "After being convicted, can we really trust them to vote for us?"

"I feel they should have the right to vote," a Burlington woman who would give only the initials R.C.W. explained. "That’s all part of felons becoming productive citizens in their communities."


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: benny; criminals; felons; newjersey; nj; vote
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nutz......
1 posted on 02/24/2003 5:03:18 AM PST by Sub-Driver
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To: Sub-Driver
Felons for democRATs and other vermes
2 posted on 02/24/2003 5:06:20 AM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (Anything from ABCNNBCBS is suspect!)
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To: Sub-Driver
Now THAT's what I call expanding your voter base.
3 posted on 02/24/2003 5:09:29 AM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: Sub-Driver
A bill in the State Assembly aimed at loosening voting requirements to allow convicted felons the right to vote

Hey, the RATS already have the deceased's vote...might as well throw in the various murderers, rapist, etc.

4 posted on 02/24/2003 5:11:53 AM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I will defend to your death my right to say it.)
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To: Sub-Driver
Democrats desperate for voters....they will get them anywhere.

Felons make good Dems.....dont work, live off the govt, commit crimes, go heterophobic while incarcerated....sounds like rank-and-file Dems
5 posted on 02/24/2003 5:12:39 AM PST by UCFRoadWarrior (I Wonder What Susan Sarandon Looks Like In A Burqa?)
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To: ClearCase_guy
A felon that serves his time and probation SHOULD get his civil rights back. ALL OF THEM, including the right to bear arms.

Too many trivial acts are felonies these days and it is a seriously BAD idea to create a large class of second class citizens.

The demoncrat's motivation is, of course, not about liberty or good government, but just about more votes for them. But just as a stopped clock is right twice a day....
6 posted on 02/24/2003 5:16:25 AM PST by Rifleman
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To: sweetliberty; Budge; TheLion
ping!!!
7 posted on 02/24/2003 5:19:06 AM PST by nicmarlo
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To: Coleus
fyi.........
8 posted on 02/24/2003 5:33:10 AM PST by Sub-Driver
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To: Rifleman
lets see: Majority of felons are black. blacks vote 95% demorat. Bingo, new voter base!

I had a cousin in prison in Texas. I visited him regularly, I was always stunned by the prisoners I saw. Usually young white men. I asked him, this prison population doesn't look like what I thought. He said, you're seeing the ones who get visitors, not the prison population. Sad!

9 posted on 02/24/2003 5:33:54 AM PST by cb
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To: Sub-Driver

Let me get this straight. Hollow points are outlawed in New Jersey. They want to ban the peaceful civilian population from owning firearms and now they want to let felons vote? Why does anybody live in this state?

10 posted on 02/24/2003 5:36:46 AM PST by 2nd_Amendment_Defender
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To: Sub-Driver
Currently, state law bars anyone convicted of a felony from voting until they have completed their parole or probation.

These people already get to vote, this is about making it legal for them to vote fresh out of prison, before they've completed their parole requirements.

Because Democrats are soft on crime, this group is a natural constituency.

The bill further mandates the Commissioner of Corrections, State Parole Officers and the chief probation officer in all 21 counties to distribute to every probation officer in that county office voter registration forms to solicit every probationer in the caseload.

These government employees, on the taxpayers dime, then become part of the voter recruitment effort of the Democrat Party.

11 posted on 02/24/2003 5:37:39 AM PST by wayoverontheright
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To: Rifleman
I agree with you, but I think the right path is to cut back felonies, and to push for pardons for non-violent "felonies" that are a result of overreaching laws.

We have a strange situation in criminal law: On the one hand, three strikes and long sentences for repeat offenders almost certainly plays a strong role in reducing the crime rate, and on the other hand, the Drug War and a whole raft of neo-crime aimed at making everyone a potential felon bloat the system and create corruption.

Some symptoms of this schizoid performance in law enforcement are that while crime is going down in many places, solution rates for murder and rape have fallen well below historic norms, solution rates for property crime still suck, and both police costs and police corruption are up.
12 posted on 02/24/2003 5:46:36 AM PST by eno_
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To: 2nd_Amendment_Defender
"Why does anybody live in this state?"

They love the fresh breeze from Secaucus.

--Boris

13 posted on 02/24/2003 6:23:35 AM PST by boris
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To: Sub-Driver
Well, birds of a feather...
14 posted on 02/24/2003 7:18:34 AM PST by dsc
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To: Sub-Driver; nicmarlo
Does this mean that most felons are Democrats? Why else would they want it?
15 posted on 02/24/2003 2:48:20 PM PST by TheLion
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To: Sub-Driver
How apopros from the party of the Presidential Felon, Bill Clinton. After all since those sucking on the government teats and those who work for the government already belong to the party, it has occurred to the Democrats a rich vein of votes is waiting to be tapped from robbers, thugs, rapists, and murderers. After all to the contemporary liberal mindset, they're just one more set of victims of society and what is more logical indeed than extending to them the voting privilege? The Democrats are not to refuse an opportunity to expand their political clout when they see the chance.
16 posted on 02/24/2003 2:57:04 PM PST by goldstategop
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To: 2nd_Amendment_Defender
Good question...

Man, I knew the Dem's were hurting for votes, but this is just crazy. Kinda like when Bill tried to "hurry up" making all of those illegals American citizens.
17 posted on 02/24/2003 3:00:27 PM PST by Blue Scourge (If the Son has set you free, than you are Free indeed...)
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To: Sub-Driver
All your felon are belong to us...
18 posted on 02/24/2003 3:04:25 PM PST by JimRed (God save Joisey from the RINOS!)
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To: Sub-Driver
This is great. They can join the immigrants that were rushed thru the naturalization procedures during the 90s as good little democrats. What a country.
19 posted on 02/24/2003 3:11:24 PM PST by RushLake
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To: UCFRoadWarrior
go heterophobic....

Thank you and God bless you for adding a new term to the richness of the conservative vernacular. Shakespere would be proud.

20 posted on 02/24/2003 3:13:24 PM PST by RushLake
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