Bevin's Shame

Could be just about anything and everything, right?  But today we'll focus on how Bevin's Kentucky leads the nation in unconstitutional stripping of voting rights from African-Americans. From Political Animal:

* The Sentencing Project recently released a report titled: 6 Million Lost Voters: State-Level Estimates of Felony Disenfranchisement, 2016.” Here are a couple of the key findings:

As of 2016, an estimated 6.1 million people are disenfranchised due to a felony conviction, a figure that has escalated dramatically in recent decades as the population under criminal justice supervision has increased.

One in 13 African Americans of voting age is disenfranchised, a rate more than four times greater than that of non-African Americans.

They also provide this map to show the percentage of African American felony disenfranchisement by state:

Bevin's Personal Vote Suppression

Speaking of voting, Governor Lying Coward has been caught lying about his accomplishments.  Again.

Tom Loftus at the Courier:

 During his campaign for governor and since his election, Matt Bevin has said he supports restoring civil rights to nonviolent felons who have completed their sentences.

Yet through his first 10 months in office, Bevin has not restored the civil rights, which include the right to vote, to a single person.

Bevin’s record on rights restoration contrasts with his two immediate predecessors, according to records of the Kentucky Secretary of State, where the restoration orders are filed.

Democrat Steve Beshear issued an average of 1,190 restorations of civil rights per year during his eight years in office.

And Beshear’s Republican predecessor, Ernie Fletcher, averaged 277 restorations per year during his 2003-07 term.

“My basic reaction is outrage,” said Rep. Darryl Owens of Bevin’s failure to issue any restorations. “You have a number of people who want to vote, who have requested the right to vote, who for no apparent reason are being denied that right by the governor. It’s heartbreaking. It’s frustrating.”

No, Rep.Owens, it's not frustrating.  It's the standard unconstitutional behavior of elected repugs. 

And the reason they're denied is because Gov. Racist Motherfucker thinks they're likely to vote Democratic.

Matt Bevin is a Vicious, Lying, Motherfucking Piece of Shit, and This Man Proves It

I TOLD you guv cowardly liar's "felony expungement" law was a bait-and-switch way to forever prevent any real restoration of voting rights.  I TOLD YOU.

Think Progress:

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY — Before sunrise on Tuesday, hours before Democratic voters across Kentucky would head to the polls to cast ballots in the presidential primary, Alonzo Malone Jr. sat awake in bed, writing a letter to President Obama.

The 55-year-old Louisville resident said he was inspired at that hour as he finished watching thefilm Selma, which tells the story of the 1965 marches led by Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders who fought for voting rights for African Americans across the United States.

“It’s 3 a.m. in the morning and while many are still sleeping and preparing to get up to exercise their right to vote, I do not have that right to vote,” Malone, who served three years in prison for two felony convictions, wrote to the president.

“I went on to share in the letter that I had a somewhat colorful past, but my life has changed and today I am the pastor of a church and I would love to exercise my right to vote,” he told ThinkProgress, sitting in a Louisville coffee shop later Tuesday morning. He wore a bow tie, vest, and thick-rimmed glasses, behind which his eyes showed little sign of his sleepless night.

“Seeing the struggle of those folks to vote, I was reminded of my dilemma and not being able to vote,” he said, referring to the film and the movement that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Malone is one of more than 140,000 Kentuckians who are permanently disenfranchised because of felony convictions. The commonwealth is one of three states with the strictest felon disenfranchisement laws. Just over five percent of Kentucky’s voting-age population cannot vote because of a felony convictions, but for African Americans, that number is 16.7 percent.

Things were looking up for formerly incarcerated Kentuckians like Malone late last year when former Gov. Steve Beshear (D) set up an application process for people with felony convictions to regain their rights. But few had the opportunity to take advantage of the change. In December, shortly after taking office, current Gov. Matt Bevin (R) issued an executive order undoing the work of his Democratic predecessor, claiming that Beshear had acted beyond his authority.

SNIP

Last week, Bevin signed legislation that will make it easier for some former felons to have their records expunged, but it does not apply to people like Malone who have more than one conviction on their records.

Meanwhile, Michael Hiser, who's been fighting to get his voting rights back for years, just now got a pardon from the shit squatting in the governor's mansion.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/05/18/3779433/kentucky-voting-pardon/

I wonder if you can see the difference between Hiser and Malone.

No, Matt Bevin Did NOT Restore Voting Rights

Governor Lying Coward did it again.

The next-to-worthless "felony expungment" bill had but one purpose: fooling the public into thinking Bevin had restored voting rights.  And it worked.  All of the media coverage conflate the brand-new-this-year expungment bill with the real voting rights restoration bill that advocates have been fighting to get passed for years.

The repug state senate killed the voting rights bill every year, but passed the expungement bill without a peep.  The repugs haven't had a change of heart; they passed expungement because it is NOT a voting rights restoration bill.  It does NOT restore voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences.

It just makes it impossible for advocates to get a REAL voting rights restoration bill passed.  "We don't need that; Governor Bevin signed the same thing in 2016."

No he did not.  But with the "expungment" bill, he and the senate repugs killed it for good.

Meanwhile, Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe of Virginia demonstrates how to do voting rights restoration correctly.

David Atkins at Political Animal:

Terry McAuliffe is no friend of the netroots progressive movement. For a long time he has represented to many on the left a centrist and business-friendly version of the party that they would prefer to leave behind in favor of a more ideological position.

That said, McAuliffe’s decision to restore voting rights to over 200,000 convicted felons who have served their time and finished parole proves once again that regardless of intra-party fights over progressive or neoliberal ideas, it matters deeply who gets into power between Democrats and Republicans.

The Virginia decision is particularly impactful because of the long, racist history of the rule barring felons:

The action effectively overturns a Civil War-era provision in the state’s Constitution aimed, he said, at disenfranchising African-Americans…

Amid intensifying national attention over harsh sentencing policies that have disproportionately affected African-Americans, governors and legislatures around the nation have been debating — and often fighting over — moves to restore voting rights for convicted felons. Virginia imposes especially harsh restrictions, barring felons from voting for life.

The far-right swerve of the Republican Party in in recent decades means that even the most conservative Democrat is usually far superior to even the most liberal Republican at anything above the hyperlocal level. It is important for the Democratic Party to nominate candidates who support policies that improve lives, but it’s also important for even the most jaded voters to remember that no matter how frustrated they may become with the party’s standardbearers, it still matters greatly who holds office.

That said, it’s also important to remember that such executive actions by governors have limited effect until a unified liberal Congress can step in to require states to reverse discriminatory practices by national fiat—otherwise the executive actions of a Democratic governor can be simply overturned by a conservative:

In Kentucky, Gov. Matt Bevin, a newly elected Republican, recently overturned an order enacted by his Democratic predecessor that was similar to the one Mr. McAuliffe signed Friday.

Matt Bevin, of course, was elected in Kentucky in part because of low voter turnout among Democrats. That had direct consequences for thousands of dispossessed and disenfranchised people.

Elections have serious consequences, and voters should remember that—even if they may not be entirely happy with their choices.

P.S. It’s worth noting for the record that Washington Monthly was among the first publications to write seriously about the injustice of denying the vote to convicts who had served their sentence, and did so over 15 years ago…

Don't Get Your Hopes Up About Felony Expungement Bill

Because it does NOT restore voting rights to people who have paid their debt to society, and if this bill really did help former felons get jobs, housing, etc., the repugs who run the Kentucky state senate will never, ever accept it.

John Cheves at the Herald:

The Kentucky House voted 80 to 11 Friday for a bill that would let people convicted of Class D felonies erase their criminal records and get a second chance at jobs, housing and other opportunities sometimes denied felons.

State law allows people to petition a court to have misdemeanors and violations expunged from all public records five years after they complete their sentences. House Bill 40 would expand that right to Class D felonies — the lowest level of felony, punishable by one to five years in prison — with exceptions, including sex offenses, crimes against children or the elderly, human trafficking and public corruption.

“I believe this legislation’s time has come. There is an overwhelming and growing army of support for expunging the records of people who commit Class D felonies and helping these individuals become successful, productive, employable citizens of the commonwealth,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Darryl Owens, D-Louisville, said in a floor speech before the vote.

“House Bill 40 is about redemption,” Owens said. “It’s about second chances. It’s about acknowledging that there, but for the grace of God, could go each of us.”

Gov. Matt Bevin previously said he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk. But on Friday, Bevin’s office said the governor has “concerns that the bill in its current form expands beyond the original intent.” Bevin did not elaborate.

HA!  Of course Governor Lying Coward has "concerns." It would help poor people who don't contribute to his campaign.

Also the repug thugs in the state senate have warned him to stay in line if he expects his economy-destroying budget to pass.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article54903390.html#storylink=cpy

No, Rand Paul Is Not In Favor of Voting Rights

Like everything else about the Tribble-Toupeed One, the substance is far less than the appearance.

Joseph Gerth at the Courier:

Unable to spur state lawmakers to action on the subject, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul plans to introduce federal legislation this week that would restore voting rights to some convicted felons who have completed their sentences.

"It's the biggest voting rights issue of our day," Paul told David Gregory on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. "We think there may be a million people who are being prevented from voting from having a previous felony conviction."

The Kentucky Republican's bill would allow anyone convicted of non-violent crimes in both state and federal courts to vote in federal elections once they complete their sentences, according to a summary of the bill provided by Paul's office.

"Federal elections."  Really, Gracie? And just exactly how are states supposed to allow particular voters to cast votes for federal candidates but not state and local candidates on the same ballot? Will they have "convicted felon - federal voting only" tattooed somewhere - their forearms maybe?

This bill would not restore voting rights to a single person. This is just more "libertarian" fakery from Ayn "I really do have black friends!" Randy.

He doesn't want non-white, non-male, non-straight, non-freakazoid, non-rich so-called "people" voting any more than his repug friends do.

He just wants you to think he does,.

Louisville Council Votes to Ban the Box

While Kentucky legislators compete to suggest more ridiculous and humiliating ways to punish people for paying their debt to society, civilization and humanity manages to prevail in Louisville.

Sebastian Kitchen at the Courier:

Applicants for jobs with Louisville government and for many vendors who work with local government will likely no longer have to fill out applications asking if they have a criminal conviction.

After some contentious debate and eventual compromise, the Louisville Metro Council voted 26-0 Thursday night to approve the so-called ban the box ordinance, which would not allow the city and its vendors or contractors to ask about convictions on the job application.

The city already does not ask about convictions on applications. The ordinance approved Thursday, if signed by Mayor Greg Fischer, would put the practice into law. Fischer, who had expressed concerns about some provisions that later were addressed in amendments, commended the council for the bipartisan passage of the “compassionate legislation.”

Supporters argue that removing the box from applications would give convicts an opportunity to get their foot in the door and have a chance to compete for a job that would help them reintegrate into society. They believe the move is crucial in Louisville with about 160,000 people in the metro area with a criminal record.

“You can’t have a quality of life without a job,” said Carolyn VanZant of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. She joined several organizations that participated in a rally outside city hall before the vote.

Fischer and council Republicans had expressed concerns about extending the ban to vendors, arguing implementation would be difficult with 26,000 vendors of all sizes. Republicans also disagreed with Louisville dictating policy to businesses.

You know what, Greg Fischer?  The only reason the rest of us in the Commonwealth tolerate Louisville at all is because it is an island of civilization and reason in a red-state hellhole. Don't fuck that up by vetoing this bill.

"Our Efforts Are Not Complete": 50th Anniversary March on Frankfort

Two days after a massive snowstorm and below-zero temperatures shut the state down, thousands of Kentuckians marched on the state Capitol to commemorate the first Civil Rights March in Kentucky and vow to keep fighting.

Linda Blackford at the Herald:

A nostalgic re-enactment of a civil rights march on Frankfort that 50 years ago featured Martin Luther King Jr. and baseball star Jackie Robinson turned into a political rally on the perennial issue of voting rights.

Several thousand people of all ages marched up Capitol Avenue under cold sunny skies Wednesday morning to hear speakers urge more support for House Bill 70, which would restore voting rights to most felons who have served their time.

"I want to say to you, ladies and gentlemen, that the right to vote is a sacred right," said Rep. Jesse Crenshaw, D-Lexington, who has worked unsuccessfully on similar legislation for the past 10 years. "It is not a privilege like driving a car. It is a sacred right!"

Georgia Davis Powers, who was Kentucky's first black female state senator, spoke Wednesday 50 years after she marched in 1964 with 10,000 others on a cold, snowy day in support of civil rights legislation.

"It is a blessing for me to be able to celebrate 50 years of progress," Powers said, but "our efforts are not complete."

Powers, now 90, first started working on a public-accommodations bill in 1963. The Kentucky Civil Rights Act passed in 1966.

"But now is about House Bill 70," Powers said.

Kentucky passed the first state civil rights law in the South, but today it is one of only two states that denies voting rights to felons who have paid their debt to society.

More plus pictures here.

Stand for Voting Rights - Call Kentucky State Senators Today

From Kentuckians for the Commonwealth:

Momentum is building for a constitutional amendment restoring voting rights in Kentucky, but your voice is needed now to move HB 70 forward in the state senate.

Please call the Legislative Message Line (1-800-372-7181) today. Ask to leave the following message for your state senator and all members of the Senate State and Local Government Committee:

“Make this the year to pass HB 70 and restore voting rights! This bill has strong support and deserves a vote in the Senate. Please oppose attempts to make voting harder or the bill more restrictive.”

“I am a Kentuckian. I have never seen the inside of a prison, but my right to vote has been taken away. I often wonder, how much is my community losing out because my voice and the voices of 240,000 others have been silenced in our democracy?”

– Mantell Stevens

The Legislative Message Line is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and until 6 p.m. on Fridays.

Thanks for taking action!

Background

HB 70 is a state constitutional amendment that would restore voting rights to most former felons who have served their full sentence. Kentucky is one of a small handful of states (along with Florida and Iowa) that permanently takes away the right to vote from all people convicted of a felony, unless they receive a pardon from the Governor.

The bill recently passed the Kentucky House with a vote of 82-12, including strong support from Republicans and Democrats in that chamber. House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover spoke in favor of the bill in a committee hearing and on the House floor, saying that it is the “right thing to do.”

Former Republican representative Lonnie Napier also a spoke in favor of the bill at a voting rights rally at the Capitol. He reminded the audience that his father, who owned a general store in Garrard County, would allow local farmers to purchase goods on credit until they sold their tobacco crops in the fall. “When they came into his store to pay off their debts, he would stamp those receipts with the words, ‘Debt Paid in Full.’” Rep. Napier reminded the crowd that once a person has paid his or her debt to society, their punishment should cease and their rights should be restored. He also praised bill sponsor, Rep. Jesse Crenshaw, for his persistence and leadership on voting rights issues in Kentucky.

More information:

An estimated 243,842 Kentuckians are barred from voting as of 2010 due to felony convictions, including 180,984 who have completed their sentences. The number of Kentuckians who have completed their sentence but lack the right to vote is bigger than the population of Bowling Green, KY’s 3rd largest city.

As a result Kentucky has among the highest African-American disenfranchisement rates in the country. One in five voting age African-American Kentuckians is not allowed to register to vote.

Thirty-nine states automatically restore voting rights to all people, although they do so at different points in the process. Of these, 19 restore voting rights when a person is off probation. In 13 states and the District of Colombia, the right to vote is restored when people are released from prison. In 5 states, the right to vote is restored after parole. And in two of these states the right to vote is never taken away.

The language of HB 70 is the result of a bi-partisan compromise reached in the Kentucky House 7 years ago. The bill automatically restores voting rights to most former felons upon completion of their full sentence. However, it preserves the existing case-by-case process for people who are convicted of murder, bribery in an election, or sex offenses. These exclusions mean that when HB 70 passes, Kentucky will move from 3 most restrictive states for felon voting rights to the next group of 8 very restrictive states.

HB 70 has passed the Kentucky House every year for the past 8 years (including 2014) with wide bipartisan support. It has never had a vote in the Kentucky Senate. However, momentum in that chamber is building and we remain hopeful that the bill will be allowed a vote during this legislative session.

Good for Target, But I'm Still Boycotting

First, I doubt Target would be doing this in the absence of a state law requiring it.

And second, get back to me after the corporation and executives stop giving millions of dollars to extremist, anti-American and anti-Democratic causes and candidates.

Think Progress:

The big box retailer Target will stop asking prospective employees about their criminal records on job applications, the company announced over the weekend. The decision signals an important move toward helping former inmates who struggle to find work because of employment discrimination.

Advocacy groups for ex-offenders’ rights have pushed for years to “Ban the Box,” a phrase referring to the box on an employment application that asks about someone’s criminal past. The question, administered before a person has a chance to even land an interview, can disqualify otherwise eligible candidates off the bat.

But, starting at the beginning of next year, Target will wait until making a provisional job offer before inquiring about a prospective employee’s criminal record, giving candidates the chance to make their case before an employer passes judgement. The company’s decision comes just a few months after Minnesota — where Target is headquartered — approved a “Ban the Box” statute.