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U.S. NEWS Friday 17 January 2020

Florida high court sides with governor on felon voter rights

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN which it referred to as LFOs, ing any resolution until after 4. In a tweet, DeSantis said Amendment 4 proponents
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — must have been satisfied. the 2020 elections. he was "pleased" with the had previously represented
The Florida Supreme Court "The answer to the Gover- Soon after the amend- decision. the measure differently as
sided with Gov. Ron De- nor's question largely turns ment's passage, the Re- "Voting is a privilege that they are now — and had
Santis on Thursday in a on whether 'all terms of publican-controlled Leg- should not be taken lightly, agreed that a completed
legal dispute over restor- sentence also meant sat-
ing voting rights to felons isfying all financial obliga-
with unpaid fines — one of tions. The justices said vot-
many clashes over the bal- ers would have understood
lot box in a state that will the phrase to refer "not only
play a crucial role in this to durational periods but
year's presidential election. also to all LFOs imposed in
The court's advisory opin- conjunction with an adjudi-
ion — requested by the Re- cation of guilt."
publican governor last year While Justice Jorge La-
— has no immediate legal barga concurred with the
consequence, but could resulting opinion, he dis-
influence federal judges agreed with the majority's
weighing legal wranglings conclusion that the phrase
over the voter-approved "all terms of sentence," as
measure known as Amend- used in Amendment 4,
ment 4. In a separate opin- would have been under-
ion, the court found no rea- stood by voters to include
son to prevent a measure unpaid fines and other le-
from going to voters this gal financial obligations.
year that would tweak the The Southern Poverty Law
state's constitution to spec- Center, which represents
ify that "only a citizen" of several felons who sued
the United States can vote the state to regain their
in Florida. voting rights, called Thurs-
A conservative group In this Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019 file photo, Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at pre-legislative news day's court decision "dan-
friendly to President Don- conference in Tallahassee, Fla. Associated Press gerous."
ald Trump is seeking the "By holding Floridians' right
change from the current to vote hostage, the Flor-
citizenship requirement sentence' encompasses islature stipulated that to and I am obligated to faith- ida Supreme Court is per-
stating that "every citizen" all obligations or only du- complete sentences, fel- fully implement Amend- mitting the unconstitutional
who is qualified to register rational periods," the court ons must pay all fines and ment 4 as it is defined," he modern-day poll tax," said
can vote. wrote. "We conclude that fees before getting their tweeted. Nancy Abudu, the deputy
In a politically crucial state the phrase, when read voting rights restored. In its advisory opinion, the legal director for the South-
like Florida, ballot-box ac- and understood in context, Voting rights groups sued in court noted that some ern Poverty Law Center.q
cess has spawned numer- plainly refers to obligations federal court immediately
ous battles across numer- and includes 'all' — not after DeSantis signed the
ous arenas. some — LFOs imposed in GOP bill into law, likening
At the time Amendment conjunction with an adjudi- the financial requirements
4 was ratified overwhelm- cation of guilt." to an illegal barrier for
ingly by voters in Novem- Advocates for restoring people who can't afford to
ber 2018, proponents said the rights argue that fel- pay.
it would give voting rights ons merely had to serve To possibly bolster his case,
back to about 1.4 million the duration of their prison the governor sought the
felons who have complet- sentences before becom- advisory opinion from the
ed their prison terms. ing eligible, and were not state's high court. The gov-
In its advisory opinion, the required to finish paying ernor, however, did not
court said only felons who court-imposed fines, restitu- ask the justices to deter-
have fully completed their tion or other legal fees. mine the constitutionality
sentences can regain ac- Voter rights groups have of the legislatively enacted
cess to the ballot box. sued the state in federal law. Instead, the governor
And the court agreed with court, but a trial is not ex- asked the court to make
the governor and legisla- pected until spring. The a determination as to the
tive Republicans that this lower-court ruling is almost meaning of a key phrase in
means all outstanding le- certain to be appealed by the voter-approved mea-
gal financial obligations, the losing side, likely delay- sure known as Amendment