By Imani Thomas
TALLAHASSEE ,FL——On June 18, 2019 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 7066 into effect. HB 7066 prohibits returning citizens from voting unless they pay off all legal financial obligations from their time served.
Greg James is one of many returning citizens impacted by HB 7066. James was sentenced to life in prison in 1995 plus another 40 years in federal prison.
“It wasn’t until after I lost my right to vote that I understood the importance of voting,” James said.
According to Prison Policy Initiative, over 600,000 individuals make the transition from prison to the community each year. The unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated people is nearly five times higher than the unemployment rate for the general U.S. population.
This statistic alone paired with the terms of HB 7066 can spark a discussion. Who is HB 7066 designed to protect?
According to USA News, the rights restoration policy does not apply to people convicted of murder or felony sex crimes.
Brenna Center states that prior to Amendment 4, Florida’s constitution permanently disenfranchised all citizens who had been convicted of any felony offense unless the Clemency Board restored their voting rights.
“Prior to Amendment 4, Florida’s constitution permanently disenfranchised all citizens who had been convicted of any felony offense unless the Clemency Board restored their voting rights,” according to Brennancenter.org
“It wasn’t until after I lost my right to vote that I understood the importance of voting,” James said.
Marie Rattigan is an intern for 2nd Circuit Judge Tiffany Baker. Rattigan also serves as the field organizer for DREAM Defenders. The non-profit organization works with Black and Brown communities youth and works to change the culture surrounding politics, state policies, and is an advocacy group.
“The biggest challenge for returning citizens is the inability to afford the fees that are being placed upon them by the state which is essentially a modern-day poll tax,” Rattigan said.
According to AP News, 1 out of 44 adults in the United States, voting eligible population is disenfranchised due to a current or previous felony conviction.
