Will Gov. Riley make a deal on ex-felon voting?
Kyle Whitmire's column in the current issue of Birmingham Weekly has this suggestion for Gov. Bob Riley on how to kiss and make up with the Legislative Black Caucus:
An hour or two later, everyone [the Black Caucus and the Governor] walks outside for the big announcement: All non-violent felons who have served their complete sentence and proven their rehabilitation will have their voting rights restored. The subtle distinction here is between "punished" and "rehabilitated."Felons will have two ways for offering proof. First, they can hold down a job for one year. Or, since the economy is in the tank and that dubious question on job applications doesn't do them any favors, felons can also serve 200 hours of community service as a way to make amends.
(Unfortunately, you can't read the whole article online. Just trust my typing.)