The hour-long debate during a committee hearing included a visit from U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, who testified in support of the bill and said the compromise satisfied him. Kentucky’s Senate approved the restoration of voting rights for thousands of former felons, but changed the legislation to impose a five-year waiting period.
Before the Senate voted 34-4 on Wednesday Republicans said their amendment was necessary to move the issue forward. House Bill 70′s backers said it wouldn’t be an improvement over the current process, in which felons must appeal to Kentucky’s governor to regain the right to vote.
A standing room-only crowd packed the committee hearing room and Capitol staff set up an overflow room. The Senate’s changes include a requirement that a person who commits a new offense would be banned from voting forever. The House can either agree to the Senate’s version or send the bill to a conference committee to work out the differences.
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