Kentucky State Rep Calls on Colleagues to Pass Voting Rights for Ex-Felons Bill

January 30, 2020 by Dan McCue
Kentucky State Rep Calls on Colleagues to Pass Voting Rights for Ex-Felons Bill

Kentucky State Rep. Charles Booker called on his colleagues in the state legislature Wednesday to pass House Bill 6, a proposed constitutional amendment that could restore the voting rights of tens of thousands of ex-felons who have completed their sentences.

“There is a saying my mother tells me, and it’s that we’re more than our mistakes and that our lives are not defined by our stumbles but how we get back up,” the Louisville Democrat said to a roomful of supporters.  

“We want Kentuckians to be able to get up and get back on their feet and pursue their dreams.  We need to do what should have been done a long time ago and make this constitutional amendment a reality,” he added.

To fulfill Booker’s goal, the bill needs to be approved by both the General Assembly and voters, who would have their say on the measure in November.

Booker’s bill would automatically and permanently restore voting rights to all Kentuckians with a felony record who have served their time.

During his remarks, Booker thanked Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for recently signing an executive order that restored voting rights for 140,000 Kentuckians with a non-violent felony record.

But Booker believes the state needs to do more.

‘We need to go even further and make this available to anyone after they complete their sentence,” he said. “We also need to remember that what can be given by executive order can also be taken away by executive order. My legislation will keep that from happening with a future governor.”

Booker went on to praise former Reps. Darryl Owens, of Louisville, and Jesse Crenshaw, of Lexington, both of whom championed earlier versions of the amendment during their years as legislators.  

He also noted when the constitutional amendment has been introduced in the state House, it has often received significant bipartisan support.  The last time it was considered, in 2016, the vote was 82-9.

Booker noted that before Beshear’s order, Kentucky and Iowa were the only states still enforcing an effective lifetime voting ban for felons.

“States across the political spectrum recognize that this type of disenfranchisement is wrong and needs to be corrected,” he said.  “Kentucky took a big step forward with Gov. Beshear’s executive order, but we need to complete that journey this legislative session and then in November.”

A+
a-
  • Charles Booker
  • ex-felons
  • Kentucky
  • voting rights
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    State News

    July 1, 2025
    by Dan McCue
    Allred Launches Senate Bid Aiming for Cornyn Seat

    WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, the former professional football player who ran a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful bid... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, the former professional football player who ran a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful bid to oust Sen. Ted Cruz last year, launched a new Senate campaign Tuesday, hoping to claim the seat currently held by Republican John Cornyn. Allred, who... Read More

    June 10, 2025
    by Katelyn Sims
    Lawmakers Fear ‘Chaos’ Caused by Tariffs Will ‘Decimate’ Retirees’ Savings

    WASHINGTON — Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have written a letter to Trump administration officials expressing their... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have written a letter to Trump administration officials expressing their fear that the “economic chaos” stemming from the president’s tariff policy will “decimate retirees’ savings.” Compounding their concerns, they wrote, is the administration’s taking a “wrecking... Read More

    April 13, 2025
    by Beth McCue
    Colorado Warms to Geothermal Energy, Awards $14.4M in Project Funding

    DENVER, Colo. — “The heat beneath our feet.” That’s how Colorado Gov. Jared Polis referred to geothermal energy when he... Read More

    DENVER, Colo. — “The heat beneath our feet.” That’s how Colorado Gov. Jared Polis referred to geothermal energy when he made his recent announcement of $14.4 million in funding to support geothermal heating projects in his state. The funding from the Geothermal Energy Grant Program and Geothermal... Read More

    Supreme Court Rejects Republican-led Effort to Halt Climate Change Lawsuits in Democratic-led states

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a lawsuit from Republican attorneys general in 19 states aimed at blocking climate change suits... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a lawsuit from Republican attorneys general in 19 states aimed at blocking climate change suits against the oil and gas industry from Democratic-led states. The justices acted on an unusual Republican effort to file suit in the Supreme Court over the... Read More

    Trump's Celebration of American Greatness Puts a Spotlight on a Little-Known Panel of Experts

    Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump outlined in one of his many executive orders a mission to celebrate... Read More

    Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump outlined in one of his many executive orders a mission to celebrate American greatness and to recognize those who have made contributions throughout history. He jumpstarted the effort by ordering the name of North America’s tallest peak to be changed... Read More

    Georgia Islanders Rushed to Rescue Survivors After Dock Walkway Collapsed Killing Seven

    SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Orange life jackets bobbed in the water, where bystanders rushed to form a human chain for passing... Read More

    SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Orange life jackets bobbed in the water, where bystanders rushed to form a human chain for passing survivors to safety. Others shouldered the task of wrapping bodies in blankets and carrying them to shore. The frantic scene after an aluminum gangway collapsed Saturday at a... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top