SB 68-FELONS' RIGHT TO VOTE  2:58:12 PM CHAIR FRENCH announced the consideration of SB 68. LYNDA ZAUGG, Staff to Senator Davis, Alaska State Legislature read the following sponsor statement: Across the country, states handle the right to vote for returning felons differently. Two states, Maine and Vermont, do not take away a felon's right to vote. Thirteen states allow felons to vote upon release from incarceration. Twenty one, including Alaska, allow felons to vote after they complete all parole/probation requirements, while fourteen states permanently disenfranchise certain felons. If our belief is that felons once released have paid their debt to society, returning their right to vote upon release from incarceration would be a positive step. SB 68 allows felons, upon release from incarceration, to register to vote. This bill starts the process which allows felons to start assuming responsibility for reintegration in their communities. We are each responsible for how our government works and we do that through voting. In Alaska, 6081 Alaskans have lost their right to vote because of felony convictions. Currently, Alaska law bars the vote to persons convicted of felonies of moral turpitude until the expiration of a post-incarceration period of parole or probation, which is often years after they have reentered society to become productive citizens and taxpayers. Harsh sentencing laws over the past 30 years have allowed the prison population to balloon, while reducing the rehabilitative model to almost non existent. Over 4.7 million Americans, or 1 in 43 adults, cannot vote due to felony convictions, with 1/3 or more of them incarcerated due to alcohol and drug offenses. In Alaska, we have gone from slightly over 800 prisoners in 1984 to 5344 in 2008, an increase of 149 percent. Of those incarcerated in Alaska, 48 percent are Caucasian, 36 percent are Alaska Native, 10 percent are African American, 3 percent are Hispanic, and 3 percent are Asian/Pacific Islanders. Minority felons are disproportionately disenfranchised nationally under current law, and the harm of this continued disenfranchisement after release is exacerbated by stigma and other forms of discrimination as they try to reenter society. In Alaska, 52 percent of our incarcerated offenders are minorities. In Alaska, we do not have a problem taking a person off the voting roles if convicted of a felony, but we do not have a system that will automatically allow them to return to the voting rolls upon termination of supervision. Voting is just one of many steps a returning felon must make to become a productive member of the community. This bill will help provide a clear time for returning voting rights and provide an important right/responsibility to felons returning to their communities. 3:01:35 PM MS. ZOAGG said according to the Division of Elections 6,081 are not able to vote because of felony conviction, but those represent people who were registered at the time of conviction. That doesn't take into account those who were not registered. MIKE MILLER, former Representative Miller, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau stated that he was the author of the original bill that is now being amended. This takes the intent of the original bill and makes it better. He doesn't know why the restrictions were placed in the bill, and he strongly feels that it can only be positive to encourage people who have served their time to assume all the responsibilities of good citizenship, including voting. He would like to associate himself with the remarks of Ms. Zoagg. 3:04:09 PM DENISE MORRIS, President and CEO, Alaska Native Justice Center, said they have reentry programs for males and females. Last week they graduated eight men, which saves the state $350,000. The graduation requirements are to obtain valid ID; register to vote; obtain a 30 hour per week job; participate in a trade school, vocational school or secondary education program; obtain housing; actively participate in weekly meetings with a case manager; actively participate in weekly support groups; attend weekly MRT classes; engage in 40 hours of community work service; form a support group; and participate in the adult reentry program for 6 months. The reason they have the voting requirement is because statistics shows it reduces recidivism. Alaska Natives are overrepresented in the population that is disenfranchised. "The Alaska Native Justice Center supports lessening the restrictions on felony disenfranchisement, in particular fewer restrictions on felony voting rights will bring Alaska into the modern national trend," she said. 3:07:41 PM JEFFREY MITTMAN, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Anchorage, said he is speaking in support of SB 68. It would reduce the voting disenfranchisement of individuals who were formerly incarcerated. More than half of the disenfranchised people are on probation or parole and this would increase their rights. 20 states have restrictions that are less stringent than Alaska has. Research indicates that there is a link between voting participation and the likelihood not to re- offend. For that and other reasons, a number of organizations involved in criminal law enforcement support this type of legislation including the American Parole Association, the National Black Police Association and the American Bar Association. Minority communities are disproportionately impacted. He asked the committee work on technical fixes to reduce the documentation requirements to make it easier to transition to voting rights. 3:10:12 PM CHAIR FRENCH announced he would hold SB 68 in committee.