On Jan. 5, State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha introduced Legislative Bill 20, a measure that would eliminate an arbitrary and unnecessary waiting period to vote for some Nebraskans.
Mike Forsythe
This is good news.Right now,Nebraska is among a small handful of states to withhold voting rights well beyond the completion of felony sentences. Once someone has served their time – including successfully completing probation or parole – they must then wait an additional two yearsbefore their right to vote is restored.
Punishing people by restricting their right to vote for years beyond their sentence is archaic, excessive, and unjustified – and LB20would correct that.
What’s next?Every bill gets a hearing in Nebraska, and we’ll keep you posted as to when a hearing on LB20 will occur. In the meantime, please join us in contacting members of the Nebraska Legislature’s Government, Military, & Affairs Committee – State Sens. Tom Brewer, Danielle Conrad, Steve Halloran, Rick Holdcroft, Megan Hunt, John Lowe, Jane Raybould, and Rita Sanders. Tell them that it’s past time that Nebraska caught up to the rest of the country by restoring our fellow citizens’ voting rights.
Want more information on joining the movement to restore the vote? Click here. Let’s get this done, Nebraska!
