There were some fast-moving developments this past week in the ongoing debate over restoring felon voting rights in the state of Florida. This week was supposed to be the deadline for Governor Rick Scott and the State’s Clemency Board to craft a new plan for restoring voting rights for felons after a Federal judge in Tallahassee ruled in February that the state’s current framework is unconstitutional. After calling a last-minute emergency meeting for Wednesday night, just hours before the plan was supposed to be presented to Judge Mark Walker – the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals stepped in — putting everything — including the voting rights of more than 1.6 million potential voters — on hold.
In granting a stay on the Judge Walker’s ruling to come up with a new plan, the judges at the 11th Circuit already believe that Scott has a winnable case to keep the current plan in place, stating that the Governor and the Clemency Board have broad discretion in restoring or “re-enfranchising” the rights of felons.
Now, with a Constitutional Amendment already on the November ballot for Florida’s voters to decide if most felons should automatically have their voting rights restored when their entire sentence is completed, the question now becomes who will make the right decision on a very important and fundamental issue – the voters or the courts.
Full Article: Path to restore felon voting rights hits roadblock – WFLA.