Photo from the Restore The Vote Facebook page
The “Restore the Vote” bill, which aims to restore voting rights to convicted felons upon their release from prison, has been approved by the Minnesota Senate.
Previously, felons in Minnesota had to complete their parole before they were allowed to vote.
The bill was introduced last week by Democrats and passed with a vote of 35-30.
It now awaits the signature of Governor Tim Walz.
Supporters of the bill argue that restoring voting rights to felons will help them reintegrate into society, especially since former inmates, who are disproportionately people of color, face significant challenges in finding jobs and housing.
Minnesota Senator Jordan Rasmusson had this to say, “It allows them to vote before they have completed their sentence to me that denies justice to victims of crime and shows were not serious about crime”
Last week, the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected a challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued that the state’s restrictions were unconstitutional.
The court acknowledged that a disproportionate number of African American and Native American people, as well as some white people, were unable to vote in 2018 due to felony convictions.
If the “Restore the Vote” bill is signed into law, the percentage of people who are unable to vote due to felony convictions will drop significantly.
Senator Rasmusson continued with, “I’m in favor of second chances, I think most Minnesotans are as well, I think it’s appropriate to have convicted felons wait until they complete their sentence before they have their voting rights restored”
Currently, 21 other states restore voting rights to felons upon their release from prison, including Republican-controlled North Dakota, Indiana, and Utah.
Some lawmakers in California are even pushing to allow felons to vote while they are still in prison, as Maine, Vermont, and the District of Columbia already do.
Republican attempts to weaken the “Restore the Vote” bill failed.
GOP Senator Warren Limmer argued that felons should not regain their civil rights, including the right to vote, until after they have completed their full sentence, both incarceration and probation.
However, the bill passed without any amendments to exclude people convicted of violent crimes or to keep the requirement to complete parole in place for those convicted of child rape.