Dan Neal of the Equality State Policy Center wrote about a bill to restore voting rights to non-violent criminals:

Make it easier to restore voting rights

Bill cuts waiting period for ex-felons from 5 years to 1

Feb. 4 last day for Committee of Whole in house of origin

A bill easing restrictions on restoring voting rights to non-violent felons looks likely to be heard on the floor of Wyoming’s House of Representatives Monday.

The first floor debate in each house is called “Committee of the Whole.” If a bill is approved in Committee of the Whole, the Second and Third Reading will follow on three consecutive days. (A bill can be amended in each of these three debates.) Since we’re at the halfway point of the 40-day General Session, any House Bills or Senate Files that are not brought up Feb. 4 for the first of these three potential floor debates in their chamber of origin will die.

State Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R –HD43, Cheyenne, long has sought to make it easier for non-violent felons to become voters. Wyoming, he said, imposes the “third-worst” restrictions in the nation limiting restoration of voting rights for felons. Virginia and Kentucky prohibit restoration of voting rights after conviction for any felony.

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Guy Padgett

Guy V. Padgett has been with WyoFile since October of 2011. He serves as WyoFile’s operations director

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