Pubdate: Tue, 21 Jun 2005
Source: Quad-City Times ( IA )
Copyright: 2005 Quad-City Times
Contact:  http://www.qctimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/857
Author: Todd Dorman

FORMER GOVERNOR CRITICIZES VILSACK'S VOTING RIGHTS FOR FELONS DECISION

DES MOINES - Iowa Gov.  Tom Vilsack's decision to restore voting 
rights to thousands of felons was criticized Monday by his Republican 
predecessor, who argued that the move is politically motivated.

Former Gov.  Terry Branstad joined a chorus of GOP leaders who 
disagree with Vilsack, a Democrat.

"I think it's a mistake,'' Branstad said in an interview.  He left 
office in 1999 after serving 16 years as governor.  "To me, this 
looks like a very political move.  All of the sudden, you're just 
going to make 50,000 people eligible to vote.''

Vilsack announced Friday that he would sign an executive order on 
Independence Day automatically granting voting rights to felons and 
other offenders who have completed their time in prison or under 
state supervision.  The order also would set up an automatic process 
for restoring voting eligibility in future cases.

The order would immediately impact more than 50,000 Iowans now 
classified as "disqualified electors.'' A group of state lawmakers, 
including Republicans and Democrats, urged Vilsack to take action.

"What's interesting is that when you do give people the right to 
reconnect, the right to vote, to become fully engaged citizens, crime 
rates and recidivism are lower,'' Vilsack said Friday.

Current policy requires offenders to ask the governor to restore 
their voting rights.  That application also is evaluated by 
corrections and law enforcement officials in a process that can take 
three to six months.

Branstad favors that approach.  He granted requests only for 
offenders who fully paid fines, court costs, restitution and other 
obligations, in addition to finishing their prison or parole terms.

There would be no such full-payment requirement for restoration of 
voting privileges under Vilsack's order.

"I thought the process was very fair, and I thought it was a balanced 
process,'' Branstad said.  "It ensured that with rights also go 
responsibilities.

"We helped the clerk of court offices collect a lot of money,'' Branstad said.

Branstad also took issue with Vilsack's claim that he inherited a 
10-year backlog of cases from the Republican administration.  On 
Monday, aides to Vilsack said the governor was referring to 
commutation requests from inmates serving life sentences, not voting 
rights applications.

Republican legislative leaders said they are studying Vilsack's 
planned order to see if it falls within his executive powers.

"I don't think it's the right thing to do,'' House Speaker 
Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, said of Vilsack's order.

"I think society's entitled to say, you know what, we welcome you 
back, but you don't get to help make laws once you've crossed a 
certain line,'' Rants said.

Rants' office circulated a 2003 study by sociologists from the 
University of Minnesota and Northwestern University arguing that 
Democrats would benefit most from permitting felons to vote.

In the study, published in the American Sociological Review, 
Christopher Uggen of Minnesota and Jeff Manza of Northwestern 
contended that seven in 10 votes cast by disqualified voters would 
have gone to Democratic candidates in a series of U.S.  Senate 
elections between 1972 and 2000.   
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MAP posted-by: Beth