Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 11-9-18

Local
Activist ‘Elated’ Her Right To Vote Restored
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The passage of Amend- ment 4 in Tuesday’s election restored the right to vote to more than one million Floridians. The amendment passed with 61.25% of voter approval.
Ms. Tonya Lewis is one of those individuals whose voting right has been restored. She said, “I was on my knees giving thanks to God. I was a little disap- pointed about some of the other elections, but God is going to straighten all of that
out“.It’s sad that this had to be accomplished by a grass- roots movement and the people we had elected didn’t do it.”
She further said she was very impressed with the number of young people who participated in the elec- tion. “Some people said they were never going to vote again. But, the young people gave me a positive attitude. They came in car pools, some came pushing strollers. We have to keep
MS. TONYA LEWIS
... Right to vote restored
them encouraged.
“The time has come for
us to educate our young peo- ple and stop selling out our community to the highest bidder,” she said.
Ms. Lewis lost her right to vote at the age of 18 when she continued to get arrested for not having a driver’s li- cense. She was sentenced to 1 year and 1 month, and served 3 months in prison for that crime.
In 1993, she was arrested for possession of cocaine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. She was sentenced to 7 years in prison on that charge.
After serving 1 year and 1 month in prison, she was re- leased and given 12 years of probation.
Ms. Lewis completed the probation. But she said, “When I came home, society rejected me. It was very stressful trying to get a job.”
She eventually found em- ployment, but had to work two jobs to make ends meet.
“I was fortunate because I had a support team when I got out. Without that, you will go back.”
Having faced discrimina- tion because of her back- ground, Ms. Lewis began seeking ways to become self- employed.
She found what she was looking for with a lawn mower. Within five years of launching the business, she began receiving commercial accounts. Her next step was to hire those who had been through the Department of Corrections and were con- victed felons.
Several years later, she launched her not-for-profit organization, Children With A Vision, Inc.
Referendums For Schools, Transportation Pass
MAYOR BOB BUCKHORN
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Hillsborough County voters passed 12 of the 13 Amend- ments to the Constitution dur- ing the General Election. They also passed both referendums that were on the ballot.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn
said, “Hillsborough County voters choose to invest in a brighter future. The decision to fund our schools and our trans- portation infrastructure will pay dividends for decades. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to pass these measures.”
Hillsborough County School Superintendent Jeff Eakins said, “The people have spoken and they support our students. This overwhelming approval of the half-penny sales tax shows the deep care and understanding the people of Hillsborough County have for education, our students, our teachers and staff and the future of our community.”
He further said the funding will begin to come into the dis- trict in February and work on the schools will begin soon after. The referendum is set for a 10-year period. Voters ap- proved the referendum by 56.35%.
The first major projects in- clude 20 air conditioner re- placements and roof repairs, among other repairs.
The Citizen Oversight Com- mittee will review each of the
JEFF EAKINS Hillsborough County School Superintendent
LES MILLER, JR. Hillsborough County Commissioner
projects and the spending on those projects prior to them being brought before the School Board for final ap- proval.
County Commissioner Les Miller, Jr., is recovering from surgery at home. When contacted by the Sentinel he said, “The passing of the trans- portation referendum will do unimaginable wonders for Hillsborough County as we ap- proach having a million people in the next 15 years.
“It will ease congestion, make necessary repairs, help HART increase service and add better busses in the most needed areas, such as the inner city. The County, City of Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City will all work together to synchronize traffic lights, it will do marvelous wonders.
“The people understood and voted for it. I’m very happy and we are getting busy,” he said.
The transportation referen- dum will last for 30 years.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A