Voting Rights Restored to Connie Cooksey and Kenneth Braxton

Rev. Angela Lee Price

Two more people who in choosing to go with God have been healed of their affliction! Kenneth Braxton and Con­stance Wells-Cooksey (left with her daughter, Andrea and I), our latest appli­cants for restoration of voting rights received their certifi­cates from Governor Bes­hear's office this month! Kenneth is a member of St. Stephen Church and one of my Sunday school members. Connie is a member of Bates Memorial Baptist Church here in Louisville, a decision counselor and greeter. Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who restores voice to the voiceless!! He is an awe­some God!! We Praise God for these victories!


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"It is a relief to have my rights restored, but it is a frustration to not be able to get the felonies off my record," states Kenneth Braxton.  Kentucky is one of two remaining states where former felons lose rights permanently unless they successfully petition the governor's office to have voting rights restored. Currently, approximately 95% of felony convictions cannot be expunged in the state of Kentucky. Kenneth and Constance Wells-Cooksey, both received certificates from Govenor Beshear's office just in time for Resurrection Weekend through the Jesus Saves Ministries Former Felons Advocacy Initiative

In 2005, Jesus Saves Ministries assisted five former felons to regain their civil rights, including the right to vote. Our initiative in association with St. Stephen Church was the first faith-based advocacy program of it's kind that communicated directly with the governor's office, and local and state Departments of Corrections in Frankfort in tracking applicants through the entire restoration process. As a result of our initial success, the Louisville Branch NAACP modeled their 2008 first-time felons voting rights campaign after our program and assisted more than 100 former felons in regaining their voting rights.

Application for Restoration of Civil Rights 2-27-08.doc. The miracle of the 2008 presidential election was that more than half of those who had their rights restored through our initiative had never voted before. They were able to vote for the first time for the first African American president in our nation's history in Barack Obama. Only God could have done something so amazingly extraordinary as that!

In 2009, we assisted three more people in regaining their voting rights, Sandra Bartell, Tyrone Trumbo, and Rudolph Long. Read their stories on this blog and on the Jesus Saves Social Network.

Moreover, I believe God is not through. He will use the muted voices of those who have never voted, and those who were told they would never vote again to do what has never been done before! All we need to do is trust and believe in Him.

Contact me, Min. Angela Lee Price at jesussaves1@insightbb.com or by calling 502-583-6798 (St. Stephen Church). We believe the job is not done unless and until the certificate is in your hand. Anything else is smoke and mirrors!