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ACLU Plaintiffs Testify In Favor of Pending House Legislation Automatically Restoring Former Felons' Right To Vote
March 20, 2001
TALLAHASSEE ? A group of ex-offenders who work with several Miami grassroots organizations will testify Wednesday morning in favor of legislation that would restore the right to vote to former felons.
The ex-offenders who will be speaking are: Leroy Jones, Brian Dennis and Earnest Thomas, of Brothers of the Same Mind, and Haneef Hamidullah, of Inner City Grassroots Civic Coalition, (both Liberty-City based grassroots organizations that work to help former ex-felons get back on their feet). Also testifying will be: Reginald Greenlee and Clarence Office, community activists who have lost their voting rights despite having served their time and been released from supervision.
The ex-offenders are all plaintiffs in the recent class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Florida's Equal Voting Rights Project challenging the state's failure to assist former felons in applying for the restoration of their civil rights. Larry Spalding, ACLU of Florida Legislative Staff Counsel, will be available at the committee meeting to answer questions about the lawsuit. To read the complaint on-line and for additional background information on the history of felony disenfranchisement laws in Florida, click here.
Who:
Organizational Plaintiffs: Leroy Jones, Brian Dennis and Earnest Thomas of Brothers of the Same Mind, and Hannef Hamidullah, of the Inner City Grass Roots Civic Coalition. Individual plaintiffs: Reginald Greenlee, Clarence Office (a member of the plaintiff class)
What: Meeting of Florida Legislative House Committee on Rules, Ethics, & Elections
When: Wednesday, March 21, 2001, from 10:30 a.m. to noon E.S.T.
Where: Room 404 of the House Office Building, 402 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee
Why: To testify in favor of House Bills 49 and 51. HB 0049 is a constitutional amendment that would authorize the Legislature to enact a statute that would automatically restore voting rights for ex-felons. HB 0051 spells out the process in more detail, and provides for the automatic restoration of ex-felons' voting rights following the completion of all sentences and probation.
Contact: Miami: Alessandra Soler, ACLU of Florida, (305) 576-2337
Tallahassee: Larry Spalding, ACLU Legislative Staff Counsel, (850) 425-1050
