American Civil Liberties Union backs Crist's plan; with the exception of requiring felons to pay restitution.
Howard Simon, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said officials are considering requiring that all ex-felons pay any restitution in full before their rights are restored.
Such a restriction, Simon said, would make a "charade" out of any effort to reform Florida's clemency system, which, Simon said, has left as many as 950,000 Floridians without civil rights today.
It also would run contrary to the recommendations of an ex-offender commission that Crist's predecessor Jeb Bush appointed, Simon said.
Crist "clearly deserves an enormous amount of credit for trying to address this crisis -- and the numbers make it a crisis -- but it makes no sense to insist on payment first," Simon said. "We're not saying ignore it 6 1/87 restitution6 3/87 or overlook it. Just put people back to work first. If they get their civil rights back they are eligible for close to a hundred occupational licenses -- from roofer to cosmetologist to barber."
The clemency board is the only chance to change the old Jim Crow law. Both the Florida House and Senate will not debate bills to restore voting rights.
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ReplyDeleteWhy do you say that the clemency board is the only chance to restore clemency?
ReplyDeleteBoth Jim Davis and then Charlie Crist said that they would sign executive orders to restore civil rights. Jim Davis further said if he could not convince the cabinet that he would FIND a way.
Not that it matters anymore what Jim Davis said --- but there IS a way.
This requires no permission and no convincing. (to sign an EO) He's making it too easy to pass the buck off on to bill mccollum. How convenient.
JMO.
He could do it and he CAN do it if he wants to. He's the guvna.
If he doesn't make a clean catch of this with no bullshit like filling out forms and etc ... then IMO he's breaking a campaign promise.
No one forced him to say that. He followed behind Jim Davis.
I'm watching and so are about a million other people.
I have hope for Charlie. I believe he is a good man who will not allow florida to continue under this debacle. What an embarrassment for this state. It's a new day. New song. Restored rights. Let's move on, Governor Crist !!
"Crist, however, said he has to devise a plan that wins enough support on the Clemency board, because attorneys have told him that he can't grant automatic restoration by himself through an executive order. Convincing the Republican-controlled Legislature to make the change would be "tough sledding," he said. "
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know WHAT attorneys. Who is going to call him on this?
Executive orders restore civil rights ALL the time. They have broad latitude in this area.
Are these a raft of Republican attorneys?
If 47 other states have figured it out it's a true statement on Florida if we can't.
As well, I tried to contact Bill McCollum about this matter when it first came up. No contact available for him that I found at that time. Only forms on his website to rat on people and such. Tracking and such. People say to be patient but this is not as complicated as all that.
It's wrong.
Fix it.
Crist won't move on this without the support of the rest of the board. Perhaps he wants political cover.
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