Rick Scott and Pam Biondi Expected to Oppose FL Initiative Measure Easing Felon Disenfranchisement Laws

If the Florida Supreme Court allows this measure to go on the ballot, it would be a huge deal in Florida. WSJ:

Mr. Meade plans to be in the courtroom Monday when the Florida Supreme Court reviews a proposed constitutional amendment to allow felons, except for murderers and sex offenders, to vote after they finish their sentences, parole and probation. The court will decide whether the measure meets standards to go before voters, provided it gets enough signatures; Mr. Meade, as head of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, is leading the petition drive to put the amendment on the 2018 ballot….

Beginning in 2011, under current Gov. Rick Scott, with support from state Attorney General Pam Bondi, felons had to wait at least five law-abiding years before applying to a clemency board.

Applications for clemency plunged after the board, which includes Mr. Scott and Ms. Bondi, implemented the new wait time. Since Mr. Scott’s election in 2010, 2,487 people with felony convictions have regained access to the polls.

A Scott spokeswoman said he “believes in the clemency process.” Mr. Scott and Ms. Bondi—both close allies of the president’s—are expected to oppose the constitutional amendment.

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