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Thank you Mr. Speaker.
I want to be very clear
about something. Nobody forces somebody to
become a felon. That's a choice that they make.
When they make that choice, they give up a bunch
of their rights, including their liberty. Many
times, they go to jail. They've given up their
right to freedom and we don't hesitate to
exercise the taking of that right.
Now let's imagine for an
instance. You've got a 10-year-old daughter. A
25-year-old man rapes her. A horrible crime. The
courts convict him, send him to jail. Your
daughter has to spend a couple of weeks, maybe a
week, in the hospital getting better.
Your daughter -- your
10-year-old daughter -- ends up going to therapy
for the next five years trying to get over this
horrible crime. Bills pile up. It costs money
for therapy. It costs money for the hospital.
The man that did this to your daughter is in
jail and he has not paid any restitution for the
cost that you've incurred trying to take care of
your daughter.
A few years after he goes
to jail, whatever his term is, he gets out a
little early for good behavior -- he's out of
jail. Under this bill, we would allow him to go
out and vote! We say, "Sure, you can have
your right to vote again."
Your daughter still has not
recovered from the horrible thing he did to her.
How are you going to feel? I know how I would
feel -- I have two daughters of my own. I know
exactly how I would feel.
So I stand here today to be
the voice for victims in this state. I'm not
interested in being a voice for the felons that
commit these horrendous crimes. I'm interested
in being a voice for the victims.
I'm all for them being able
to vote again, Mr. Speaker. Just let them pay
their restitution. Let them pay for the damage
they do.
Part of their horrible act
that they've done has destroyed a part of your
daughter that you will never, ever get back. And
we're going to talk about giving them the right
to vote before they make restitution to her?
I think not, Mr. Speaker. I
urge a no vote!
House Bill 1517
passed the House with a vote of 53-43. It is now
in the Senate Government Operations and
Elections Committee. |
