The Soapbox

Joined: 08/29/2012 Posts: 25798
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I dare say that the Floridians who overwhelmingly voted in favor of the

initiative (65% to 35%) didn't think that the Republican-controlled legislature would introduce and pass an amendment like this to suborn their will and effectively torpedo it. It already went into effect January 8th, so this amendment was just a Republican-contrived afterthought, designed to suppress voting rights a little more using the 150+ year reign of felon disenfranchisement that started during the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras and survived all the way to 2019. "Black Americans constitute 2.2 million of the [felony] disenfranchised [in the U.S.], banned from voting at four times the rate of all other racial groups combined."
And "Florida was estimated to have 1,686,318 persons—10.43 percent of the voting age population—disenfranchised due to felonies."

https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Amendment_4,_Voting_Rights_Restoration_for_Felons_Initiative_(2018)

Trump only won Florida's 29 EC votes by a margin 1.2%. and Scott only won his 2014 gubernatorial election by 1%. And it's probably safe to assume that if allowed to vote in the 2018 elections, Bill Nelson would probably still be a U.S. Senator and Andrew Gillum would be the Governor of Florida. Some of the closest House seat Republican wins might also have gone to Democrats instead.

But this setback from the ever-vigilant anti-election/voter-fraud GOP can still be overcome with a little creative crowdsourcing and/or maybe a billionaire or two who feel like buying Florida for the Democrats in 2020. It's no worse than using a little "walking around money" to get out the vote, let alone helping NC-9 voters cast their absentee ballots.
[Post edited by Hoo TV at 05/03/2019 11:45PM]

(In response to this post by WahooMatt05)

Link: The Racist Roots of Felony Disenfranchisement | The Marshall Project

Posted: 05/03/2019 at 11:04PM

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Current Thread:

Florida Senate votes to require fees paid before restoring voting rights -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 11:44AM

You don't get your UVA diploma until you pay your parking tickets. ** -- MasterRusty 05/04/2019 07:22AM

I dare say that the Floridians who overwhelmingly voted in favor of the -- Hoo TV 05/03/2019 11:04PM

Dunno - I can see this both ways. I 100% believe that if you've paid your -- CharlestonSC 05/03/2019 7:21PM

I should say my take on court costs for civil cases is different ... in -- CharlestonSC 05/03/2019 7:22PM

I thought the same upon hearing this. Thwarting the will of the people ** -- Maupin233 05/03/2019 4:11PM

Well it’s a little more detailed than paying court cost, but you already -- Cold Hoober Hoo 05/03/2019 12:36PM

The intent is to prevent them from voting at all, but you already knew that -- Seattle .Hoo 05/03/2019 12:46PM

No the intent was to punish them for a crime. Restitutions are just -- Cold Hoober Hoo 05/03/2019 12:55PM

Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't. What this law does is subvert -- Seattle .Hoo 05/03/2019 12:58PM

Because I have no issue with a person gaining their rights back -- Cold Hoober Hoo 05/03/2019 1:08PM

Let's go back to WahooMatt's point then. How is the person supposed to work -- Seattle .Hoo 05/03/2019 1:18PM

They should have thought about that before the crime. ** -- Hokieesith 05/03/2019 1:21PM

Yeah, I think Jesus said that. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 05/03/2019 1:25PM

Lol. Says the Atheist. ** -- hoothat 05/03/2019 1:34PM

My point exactly. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 05/03/2019 4:19PM

Is it not true? ** -- hoothat 05/03/2019 4:25PM

The GOP likes to draw Jesus like a weapon to support their oppressive -- Seattle .Hoo 05/03/2019 4:46PM

Not really, but if an Athiest wants to attempt to shame others -- hoothat 05/03/2019 5:44PM

I don’t care what Jesus would say and I know you don’t. ** -- Hokieesith 05/03/2019 1:33PM

They only vote for criminals. ** -- hooshouse 05/03/2019 1:26PM

Who is they? -- hoothat 05/03/2019 1:30PM

It's kind of hard to earn a living while in jail -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 12:46PM

Bring back Jim Crow laws, the root of felon disenfranchisement -- Hoo TV 05/03/2019 1:05PM

You are completely wrong Matt. Those fees and restitutions -- Cold Hoober Hoo 05/03/2019 12:53PM

Let's go to the ballot initiative -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 1:23PM

“All terms of the sentence”. It’s written right there Matt. -- Cold Hoober Hoo 05/03/2019 1:51PM

Not, Florida, but Alabama clearly shows the difference -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 2:37PM

And Florida isn't different. Here's the Florida Criminal Punishment Code -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 2:23PM

Let's look at the United States Sentencing Commission glossary -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 2:05PM

I’m sure the courts will decide. What does your research say about -- Cold Hoober Hoo 05/03/2019 2:43PM

Good question -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 2:56PM

Actually they are part of the sentence. They're talking about court costs -- Hoodafan 05/03/2019 3:06PM

They are part of the punishment, not the sentence -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 3:11PM

No. Your sentence can be for X yrs and Y$ fine. Plus, regardless of the -- Hoodafan 05/03/2019 3:22PM

Damn -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 3:33PM

Nor am I, and that was never my point to parse words or make distinctions. -- Hoodafan 05/03/2019 3:38PM

There's a good reason why Bernie thinks felons in prisopn should vote -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 3:43PM

And boy do we GOPers hope he and all Dems push for that to go nation wide. ** -- Hoodafan 05/03/2019 4:09PM

The sentence and the fine are two different things -- WahooMatt05 05/03/2019 3:26PM

You mean a part, right? ** -- hoothat 05/03/2019 1:58PM

Yes, corrected ** -- Cold Hoober Hoo 05/03/2019 2:01PM

Just making sure. -- hoothat 05/03/2019 2:03PM

"Debt to society" = 100% figurative, not literal! Fees = unconstitutional! ** -- ResistHoo 05/03/2019 1:07PM

Imprisoning or executing a person doesn't do justice to the victim either -- Seattle .Hoo 05/03/2019 12:55PM

Isn’t that for the victim to decide? -- Cold Hoober Hoo 05/03/2019 1:01PM

No it isn't for the victim to decide. Not at all. Let's make it a -- Seattle .Hoo 05/03/2019 1:14PM

What’s the difference in having voting rights restored after getting -- Cold Hoober Hoo 05/03/2019 1:43PM

Restitution is also often a condition and exchange for reduced time served. -- Hoodafan 05/03/2019 1:07PM

Exactly - time in jail fully paid debt to society. Now they can vote D!!! ** -- ResistHoo 05/03/2019 12:52PM

Yes, but if your argument is that they should get their rights back because -- Hoodafan 05/03/2019 12:51PM

Bernie Madoff lives in Florida? I didn't know that! -- Seattle .Hoo 05/03/2019 12:54PM

I feared Nevin Shapiro would fly over too many heads to make the point. :-) ** -- Hoodafan 05/03/2019 12:56PM

Good news and more good work in FL ** -- TomKazanski 05/03/2019 12:01PM

The GOP proving again that cheating works! ** -- Seattle .Hoo 05/03/2019 12:15PM

Cheating? ** -- TomKazanski 05/03/2019 12:29PM

Like their Federal R counterparts, Constitution is for losers ** -- WarmHoo 05/03/2019 12:00PM

Poll tax ** -- Hooddihsm 05/03/2019 11:48AM