NAACP effort helps former felons register to vote

By Emily Udell
Courier Journal Newspaper
October 1, 2008, Neighborhoods Section

Rev. Angela Lee Price, voter registration minister at St. Stephen Church, applauded at last night's ceremony at the local NAACP office. Donna Cook said she's been trying to get back her right to vote since her probation ended in 2005. But it wasn't until yesterday that she signed her voter-registration card through a program offered by the Louisville branch of the NAACP.

"Now I count for something. Now I stand for something again," said Cook, an environmental services worker who had her two children at her side. Cook, 44, was one of 142 participants in the local NAACP's program to register felons in time for next month's elections. Of those, 98 have had their voting rights restored, and a handful gathered last night to turn in their voter-registration cards.

"This program works - you are the living proof," branch President Raoul Cunningham told the group gathered at the office, 1245 Catalpa Court.
In Kentucky, felons must go through a process to secure their rights from the governor, and this year the NAACP reached out to people with records through radio advertisements and church visits.
To qualify, felons must have completed their sentence or parole and must not be under felony indectment, have pending charges or woe any fines or restitution.
This is the first year that the NAACP branch has included felons in its voter registration efforts. Other efforts target youths, senior citizens and African Americans.
Cunningham said laws disenfranchising felons disproportionately affect African Americans. "This is just a drop in the bucket," he said. "But we had to start somewhere."
Kentucky and Virginia are he only states in which all felony offenders are prohibited from voting unless they receive an exception from the governor, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which advocates for the restoration of their voting rights.
The ACLU estimates 5.3 million Americans are unable to vote because of felony convictions, including about 186,000 in Kentucky. It says nearly 129,000 of those in Kentucky have serve their sentences.
Karen Henry, 35, who was among those turning in their cards last nights, said he is looking foward to gooing to the polls for the firs time next month. "It feels great to be a part of something that's part of being American," he said. "Even though you make mistakes, you shouldn't be condemned to pay for it for the rest of your life if you've paid you debt to society."


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Are You Walking With Jesus This Summer?

By: Rev. Angela Lee Price

Enoch walked with God and didn’t see death. Conversely, the disciples walked with Jesus on the Emmaus road, and didn’t know it. Are you walking with Jesus this summer? The bible says in Micah that there are three things required of us, to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before God.

Louisville Branch NAACP Treasurer Dolores Beauchamp ( right) is walking with Jesus. She is one of several winners of Walking With Jesus gifts bags. Jesus Saves Ministries is giving away Walking With Jesus gifts in an effort to share the gospel and encourage Christians in their faith this summer. Gifts consists of sermons, gospel CDs, books, flip flops, caps, and various Jesus novelties.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus saves!

Update On House Bill 70: Automatic Restoration of Voting Rights

By: Angela Lee Price

I spoke with Louisville Branch NAACP President Raoul Cunningham on Monday , March 12th. He said House Bill 70 passed in the House, but died in the Senate. The NAACP will bring it up again in January. In the meantime, those interested in seeing the bill become law should ask Kentucky gubernatorial candidates where they stand on the issue.

Raoul Cunningham will be one of several guests this Friday, March 16th on my new talk show, Jesus Saves Ministries Live, 4:00-5:00 PM on WLOU Radio. Raoul will be speaking with me briefly about HB 70 and National President & CEO Bruce Gordon resigning as head of the NAACP. Join me for Jesus Saves Ministries Live, Friday, March 16th, 4:00-5:00 PM. It is more than just a talk show. It is an experience on 1350 WLOU, Louisville's Praise and Worship Station!

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus saves!

House Bill 70: Automatic Restoration of Voting Rights

By: Angela Lee Price

YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED!

Most of you know that I support the automatic restoration of voting rights to former felons. We serve a God of reconciliation. Reconciliation is demonstrated most profoundly when we restore former felons to full citizenship. If a person cannot vote, they don’t have a voice in the democratic process. I don’t care how you look at it, they are not whole citizens. Kentucky’s unjust application process needs to be abolished, and you can help today! Let’s give more deserving citizens like LaMont Anderson, who regained his civil rights through the St. Stephen Voter Empowerment Campaign in 2005, the right to vote.

On Wednesday, February 28, The Kentucky House passed HB 70 by a margin of 70 - 28. House Bill 70 will allow Kentuckians to vote on amending Section 145 of the Kentucky Constitution to require automatic restoration of voting rights to convicted felons upon completion of their sentence. The bill will not apply to those convicted of murder, rape, and sodomy. The bill has been received in the Senate but has not yet been assigned to a committee.

We only have until Monday, March 12 to get the Senate to approve the measure. PLEASE CALL FRANKFORT TODAY at 1-800-373-7181 and leave this message for your Senator or State Representative, “The NAACP (or give your name) request that you urge the Senate leadership to immediately hold hearings on the bill and that you vote in favor of HB 70.”

If you don’t know the name of your Senator or State Representative, give the person answering your address and zip code, she will look up the name and take the message. That may take a few minutes. It is best that you call the voter registration office and obtain your Senator’s name before calling.

Please take immediate action TODAY by contacting your senator or representative, if you are an individual, or senators in your area if you represent an organization.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus saves!

Restoration Of Voting Rights

Please join me in supporting Raoul Cunningham and the NAACP in their efforts ensure passage of House Bill 480 automatically restoring voting rights to former felons. Below is a letter Raoul sent to the Kentucky General Assembly recently.

Angela Lee Price
Founder
Jesus Saves Ministries


By: Raoul Cunningham

Today, Kentucky remains one of three states that does not have some form of automatic restoration of voting rights for former convicted felons who have completed their sentence and made full restitution. The provision denying felons the right to vote has been in place since the adoption of Kentucky’s first Constitution in 1792.

In 2001, the General Assembly passed legislation, KRS 196.045, requiring the Department of Corrections “to implement a simplified process for the restoration of civil rights to eligible felony offenders.” During the past several years, there has been a steady decline in the number of restorations granted. In the 2003 fiscal year, 1,231 Kentuckians had their rights restored. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2005, the number dropped to 464.

House Bill 480 will automatically restore voting rights to felony offenders.

The Louisville Branch NAACP is asking that you whole heartedly support HB 480.

Voting is a fundamental right of democracy and should not continue to be denied to the more than 145,000 Kentucky felon offenders who have paid their debt to society.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Raoul Cunningham, President

Louisville Branch NAACP

This letter was sent from the Louisville Branch to members of the General Assembly in support of Restoration of Voting Rights to former felons, and was published in the NAACP Newsletter, March 2006.

Restoring Voting Rights

This editorial appeared in the Courier Journal Newspaper on February 22, 2006, A12, and was reprinted in the Louisville Branch NAACP Newsletter, March 2006.

Eighty percent of Americans polled two years ago favored automatic restoration of voting rights for ex-cons who have served their time and otherwise have met the terms of their release.

Unfortunately, Kentucky remains one of just three states where, instead, the restoration of voting rights to felons remains the governor’s exclusive prerogative. It’s a bad, arbitrary system, and civil rights groups, churches and civil libertarians are right to be pushing for passage of House Bill 480, which calls for placing on November’s ballot a constitutional amendment to allow automatic restoration of voting rights.

It’s unfair and counterproductive to insist that people coming out of prison live responsibly while withholding from them the rights of responsible citizenship. They remain hostages to a system dating to the 19th Century, when disenfranchisement laws were adopted as one of many ways to deny black citizens the vote.

In the 21 Century, these antiquated laws have left nearly five million Americans separated from their voting rights, including 13 percent of all African American men. The impact plays out differently in different locales, but those who have studied the issue have found that in some close elections, current members of Congress would not have won if significant portions of the constituency had not been disenfranchised.

Status-quo, incumbent-friendly politics are clearly a factor in keeping these laws on the books. Republicans fear that ex-cons would be more likely to vote for Democrats, while Democrats fear that pushing pushing too hard for restoring voting rights will get them tagged as soft on crime. But such overt political considerations shouldn’t prevent Kentucky from breaking with the past.

Passage of HB 480 would be a step toward true justice for thousands of Kentuckians who have made mistakes, especially by becoming substance abusers, but who are making good and deserve a second chance at full, productive citizenship.