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Iowa Legislature fails to pass amendment to allow felons right to vote during session

Iowa Legislature fails to pass amendment to allow felons right to vote during session
ANNOUNCER: vlog 8 NEWS AT 5:30 STARTS RIGHT NOW. MAX: THE 2020 IOWA LEGISLATIVE SESSION WRAPPED UP TODAY. [vlog CAPTIONING IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE IOWA CLINIC.] YOU ARE TAKING A LIVE LOOK AT THE STATEHOUSE TONIGHT. THIS YEAR’S SESSION LOOKED AND FELT DIFFERENT, FEATURING A THREE-MONTH BREAK DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. WRAP THINGS UP IN JUST OVER A WEEK. OVERNIGHT, THE SENATE VOTED TO UPDATE IOWA’S ABORTION PROCESS THE BILL. IT WOULD REQUIRE WOMEN TO WAIT 24 HOURS BEFORE GETTING AN ABORTION. A WOMAN WOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW AND ULTRASOUND SCAN OF THE FETUS AND LOOK AT ADOPTION INFORMATION. MANY DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS HAVE EXPRESSED OUTRAGE. SOME SAY REPUBLICANS ARE EXPLOITING THE PANDEMIC. REPUBLICANS SAY THIS COULD CHANGE HOW IOWANS VIEW ABORTION LAWS. >> IT SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE IOWA SUPREME COURT THAT WE WON’T ALLOW YOU TO CREATE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS. >> WHEN SOMEONE DECIDES TO HAVE AN ABORTION, IT SHOULD BE SAFE, AFFORDABLE AND FREE FROM PUNISHMENT OR JUDGMENT. THE LAST THING IOWA WOMEN NEED IS A BUNCH OF MAIL POLITICIANS TRYING TO CONTROL THEIR BODIES AND HEALTH CARE DECISIONS. MA
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Updated: 6:06 PM CDT Jun 14, 2020
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Iowa Legislature fails to pass amendment to allow felons right to vote during session
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Updated: 6:06 PM CDT Jun 14, 2020
Editorial Standards
Iowa legislative session ended Sunday without passing the amendment to allow felons to vote in the state. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the amendment last week that would allow felons to vote after serving their time and paying all restitution. This amendment has been a large initiative of the Des Moines Black Lives Matter group over the past few weeks. After a meeting with Reynolds last week, the BLM group posted on social media that the amendment should not require felons to pay restitution in order to vote. If the amendment would have been passed this year, it could have voted on by legislature in within the next two years before being put on the ballot for the public's vote. It would be at least 2024 before it could be voted on again. The only way to have the voting rights restored quicker is if Reynolds issues an executive order. Iowa is the only state that does not allow felons any right to vote. The ACLU of Iowa responded with the following statement: "Today's turn of events allows Iowa's worst-in-the-nation felony disenfranchisement system to stand—for now. Iowa's disenfranchisement law has been especially devastating to Black communities across Iowa, where one in 10 Black adults cannot vote because of a felony conviction. This means entire communities have a reduced voice in our government and it perpetuates the problems of a deeply flawed criminal justice system. The ACLU of Iowa is committed to ending felony disenfranchisement in our state, and has been working in coalition with our allies toward this day for over a decade. We're not about to give up now."

Iowa legislative session ended Sunday without passing the amendment to allow felons to vote in the state.

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the amendment last week that would allow felons to vote after serving their time and paying all restitution.

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This amendment has been a large initiative of the Des Moines Black Lives Matter group over the past few weeks. After a meeting with Reynolds last week, the BLM group posted on social media that the amendment should not require felons to pay restitution in order to vote.

If the amendment would have been passed this year, it could have voted on by legislature in within the next two years before being put on the ballot for the public's vote. It would be at least 2024 before it could be voted on again. The only way to have the voting rights restored quicker is if Reynolds issues an executive order.

Iowa is the only state that does not allow felons any right to vote.

The ACLU of Iowa responded with the following statement: "Today's turn of events allows Iowa's worst-in-the-nation felony disenfranchisement system to stand—for now. Iowa's disenfranchisement law has been especially devastating to Black communities across Iowa, where one in 10 Black adults cannot vote because of a felony conviction. This means entire communities have a reduced voice in our government and it perpetuates the problems of a deeply flawed criminal justice system. The ACLU of Iowa is committed to ending felony disenfranchisement in our state, and has been working in coalition with our allies toward this day for over a decade. We're not about to give up now."