Kentucky legislators and voters have an opportunity to renew our commitment to democracy, second chances, and restorative justice.
Kentucky is one of only three states that bars citizens with felony convictions from voting for the rest of their lives. This requirement is spelled out in our state Constitution, which was drafted in an historical era with far fewer non-violent felonies on the books. As we have expanded the list of felonies over the years, we have permanently disenfranchised a larger and larger number of Kentuckians.
Jason Hall
The bishops of Kentucky and their predecessors have, for many years, voiced strong support for the automatic restoration of voting rights at the conclusion of a person’s sentence. The Kentucky Council of Churches, of which the Catholic Church is a member along with 10 other Christian denominations and traditions, also strongly supports this initiative.
Participation in the political life of one’s community is a right and also an obligation. The tradition of Catholic social thought places great emphasis on the common good — the sum total of conditions that allow people to thrive, both as individuals and as families and groups. This concept includes a robust concept of rights, but also puts an emphasis on the responsibility each of us has to help build up the communities in which we live. Voting is one of the ways that we fulfill that responsibility.
It is our belief that each of us is created in the image of God and that each and every person possesses a basic dignity that comes from God. As a result, we have certain rights as well as obligations. This is a basic expression of Jesus’ command to love our neighbor, and one of the ways we fulfill this obligation to our communities is through voting and other political activity.
We understand the reasons why a felony conviction results in the loss of the right to vote. The commission of a crime is a breach of trust with one’s neighbors and an act that causes them harm. Society needs an effective justice system to hold people accountable and protect all of us.
However, once the conditions set by that system have been met, the interest of society is best met by the person who committed the criminal act once again accepting and fulfilling the responsibilities to their community. That includes working, paying taxes, meeting their family obligations, and participating in the political life of their communities.
This General Assembly has taken several steps over recent years to encourage and facilitate the process of reintegration into society for those with felony convictions — reintegration we know to reduce recidivism. We support and applaud those ongoing efforts and believe that an important step in that process is the restoration of voting rights to those who have completed their sentences. We ask our lawmakers to give Kentucky voters the opportunity to consider an amendment to the Constitution to restore voting rights to those who have completed their sentences and returned to active life in the community — and there's no better time to do so than right now.
I don’t mind reformed criminals voting , but is it because the white neo- Christians or Pseudo Christians that voted in Trump ,and also are pro assault weapons activists, while children and innocent people are killed by the guns they support . And don’t forget ,all the while they are anti abortionist , taking the thirteenth amendment away from women and their rights ? Ha! They must be bored to go out on this tangent? Seems that so many seek a reason for their existence on earth - even as to do all the aforementioned? Think their Maker will question them on their self serving justifications during their lives , when they are no more on their earthly home ? It’s really comical to see these hypocrites write pieces about their opinions in the local paper ( to me ) isn’t it?
“As we have expanded the list of felonies over the years, we have permanently disenfranchised a larger and larger number of Kentuckians.“
Why I laud the personal message expressed here by the author, this permanent disenfranchisement of felons (disproportionally black), is no accident. It is an integral part of a right-wing Republican nationwide scheme to limit who gets to vote and how those votes are counted. This organized stratagem is prevalent in our legislatures, governors mansions, US senators and representatives, and the courts all the way up to SCOTUS, which by the way sports 6 Catholics out of the 9 total justices. Is there no moral obligation for public criticism of this abhorrent behavior from the Kentucky Catholic Conference of Kentucky or our local Diocese regarding that! Silence amounts to complicity.
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I don’t mind reformed criminals voting , but is it because the white neo- Christians or Pseudo Christians that voted in Trump ,and also are pro assault weapons activists, while children and innocent people are killed by the guns they support . And don’t forget ,all the while they are anti abortionist , taking the thirteenth amendment away from women and their rights ? Ha! They must be bored to go out on this tangent? Seems that so many seek a reason for their existence on earth - even as to do all the aforementioned? Think their Maker will question them on their self serving justifications during their lives , when they are no more on their earthly home ? It’s really comical to see these hypocrites write pieces about their opinions in the local paper ( to me ) isn’t it?
“As we have expanded the list of felonies over the years, we have permanently disenfranchised a larger and larger number of Kentuckians.“
Why I laud the personal message expressed here by the author, this permanent disenfranchisement of felons (disproportionally black), is no accident. It is an integral part of a right-wing Republican nationwide scheme to limit who gets to vote and how those votes are counted. This organized stratagem is prevalent in our legislatures, governors mansions, US senators and representatives, and the courts all the way up to SCOTUS, which by the way sports 6 Catholics out of the 9 total justices. Is there no moral obligation for public criticism of this abhorrent behavior from the Kentucky Catholic Conference of Kentucky or our local Diocese regarding that! Silence amounts to complicity.
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State-Journal.com’s comments forum is for civil, constructive dialogue about news topics in our community, state, nation and world. We emphasize “civil” at a time when Americans, in the words of the current president, need to “turn down the temperature” of political debates. The State Journal will do its part by more carefully policing this forum. Here are some rules that all commenters must agree to follow:
Absolutely no attacks on other commenters, on guest columnists or on authors of letters to the editor. Our print and online opinion pages are sacred marketplaces of ideas where diverse viewpoints are welcome without fear of retribution. You may constructively critique the ideas and opinions of others, but name-calling, stereotyping and similar attacks are strictly prohibited.
Leeway will be given for criticism of elected officials and other public figures, but civility is essential. If you focus your criticism on ideas, opinions and viewpoints, you will be less likely to run afoul of our commenting rules.
Keep comments focused on the article or commentary in question. Don’t use an article about the Frankfort City Commission, for example, to rant about national politics.
Hyperpartisanship that suggests anyone on the other side of an issue or anyone in a particular particular party is evil is not welcome. If you believe that all Democrats are socialists intent on destroying America or that all Republicans are racists, there are lots of places on the internet for you to espouse those views. State-Journal.com is not one.
No sophomoric banter. This isn’t a third-grade classroom but rather a place for serious consumers of news to offer their reactions and opinions on news stories and published commentary.
No consumer complaints about individual businesses. If you’ve had a bad experience with a private business or organization, contact the Better Business Bureau or the government agency that regulates that business. If you believe the actions of a private business are newsworthy, contact us at news@state-journal.com and we will consider whether news coverage is merited.
Absolutely no jokes or comments about a person’s physical appearance.
No promotion of commercial goods or services. Our outstanding staff of marketing consultants stands ready to help businesses with effective advertising solutions.
If you state facts that have not been previously reported by The State Journal, be sure to include the source of your information.
No attacks on State Journal staff members or contributing writers. We welcome questions about, and criticism of, our news stories and commentary but not of the writers who work tirelessly to keep their community informed. Corrections of inaccurate information in news stories should be sent to news@state-journal.com rather than posted in the comments section.