Two Lawmakers Say Senate Will Continue to Press Restore the Vote Legislation For Minnesotans Who Have Served their Terms of Incarceration
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis) and Senate President Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-Minneapolis) released the following statements after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday against reinstating the right to vote for individuals convicted of a felony upon completion of their term of incarceration:
“Today, the State Supreme Court rule that without action by the State Legislature, Minnesotans who have completed their term of incarceration will not be allowed to vote in our state,” said Majority Leader Dziedzic. “The Senate is ready to act to restore voting rights to over 50,000 Minnesotans across the state who have already completed their time in prison and are now actively engaged in society. Our Restore the Vote legislation gives those currently left out of the democratic process access to the voting booth.”
“We’ve heard from the Supreme Court that this issue requires action from the Legislature, and we are prepared to pass my legislation that would restore voting rights to those community members who are no longer incarcerated,” said Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, the lead author of the Senate bill known as Restore the Vote. “The House has already passed Restore the Vote, and the bill has passed through all the necessary committees in the Senate. We in the Senate are prepared to take swift action to debate and pass this important legislation to allow all of our voices to be heard when it comes to voting.”
The bill is chief authored by Sen. Champion and co-authored by Sen. John Marty (DFL – Roseville), Sen. Alice Mann (DFL – Edina), Sen. Ron Latz (DFL – St. Louis Park), and Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten (DFL – St. Paul).
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