With voting rights legislation for former felons stalling year after year in Frankfort, the annual rally for House Bill 70 can feel like a case of déjà vu for supporters.
"We are still here. We're going to be here until they let House Bill 70 go through. What do you say?" rally emcee Tanya Fogle asked to loud applause.
Backers of a constitutional amendment that, if successful at the ballot box, would mean automatic restoration of voting rights for most non-violent felons who have served their time once again made the trek to the Capitol Thursday. As in years passed, support remains strong in the House, but prospects are uncertain in the Senate, which attached a five-year waiting period to the bill in 2014.
Supporter Michael Hiser, a former felon who was able to attend college and has gone on to work with children in the juvenile justice system, says it’s time for the Commonwealth to give an estimated 250,000 felons a say come election day.
"The rule in Kentucky is this: you can commit crimes here, you can go to prison here, but if you want to change and help society, you've got to go to a different state," he said.
Critics, however, argue that a waiting period is necessary for felons to prove they’re serious about becoming productive, law-abiding members of society.
Kentucky is one of four remaining states that require a pardon from the governor to restore voting rights for felons.
