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DISENFRANCHISED: Iowa felons can’t caucus yet, Senate to move forward with restoration effort this session

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DES MOINES, Iowa (KWWL) -- Last December, Kentucky restored voting rights for felons which left Iowa as the last state to completely strip felons of their voting rights.

"I think its pretty telling that we're the last state standing on this issue," said Veronica Fowler with the Iowa ACLU.

Governor Kim Reynolds addressed the issue once again in her January Condition of the State Address in which she directed staff to work to clear the backlog of applications for those who are eligible to gain their voting rights back. According to the Des Moines Register, that backlog was cleared days before the 2020 caucus.

“I certainly think those of us who can vote, take it for granted, and I think people who's vote has been taken away, espeically in a state like Iowa that is so politically aware and so politically engaged, it really is a destructive thing," Fowler said.

A constitutional amendment, HJR 14, is set to go before the Iowa Senate this session after passing in the Iowa House last year. For the state's constitution to be amended it has to pass in two legislative sessions before going before the public for a vote.

It's a move the ACLU supports.

“We would ask what's the point? The person did the crime, they did the time, how much longer do we want to keep punishing them?” Fowler said.

Fowler noted that, based off a number of studies, restoring voting rights would likely decrease recidivism rates in Iowa.

She also noted the disparity for Iowans of color. In its latest newsletter, the ACLU says "1 in 10 Black adult Iowans can't vote because of a felony conviction in their background."

For information on restoring voting rights in Iowa through Governor Reynold's office go to their website.

Taylor Vessel

Multimedia Reporter

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