Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) offered rare praise for Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday as the Kentucky Republican unveils legislation to restore voting rights for nonviolent offenders who have completed their time.
“I want to congratulate Rand Paul, the junior senator from Kentucky,” Reid said, adding that he has previously championed similar proposals on voting rights for ex-convicts.
“And that’s what Rand Paul said in his offering legislation saying if it’s a nonviolent crime, they should be able to vote when they’ve completed their time. I went a little further than that with mine, but I so appreciate his suggestion. And I’ll have more to say about that later,” Reid said. “And I hope I don’t get him in trouble with the Republican caucus for congratulating him. This is something that is long overdue.”
Paul said he’ll introduce legislation this week to that effect, according to Politico.
“I believe in these issues,” he told the news outlet. “Even if Republicans don’t get more votes, we feel like we’ve done the right thing.”
They need to go further than this. Even those convicted of violent crimes should be allowed to vote. A criminal conviction should result in the loss of the right to vote only if the crime committed was related to voting. Laws taking the right to vote away from those convicted of a crime were some of the first Jim Crow laws passed after the Civil War. There is no justification for the continued existence of these laws.
First thing. Wow. Wonderful if this goes through for the many denied the right to vote, after paying their debt to society. However, I don’t want to be cynical but this just grabs me as another attempt by Sen. Paul to curry favor for a presidential bid, by attempting to appear like a moderate. Maybe I’m wrong, and it’s legitimate, but so soon after his public knocking of Dick Cheney, I just don’t know.
Lets be realistic.
Even if something reasonable passes the Senate (unlikely), the House Nutcase Caucus will attach some 457 voter suppression amendments to it…and an O-care repeal…oh and a ban to Acorn funding as well.
Not going anywhere.
I applaud the care taken to make sure that ex-felons have their voting rights. Now if only GOP senators cared to make as much effort to ensure the voting rights of citizens who haven’t committed any crimes.
Curry favor? By coddling criminals?!?!!?