April 06, 2007 04:58 PM UTC

Parolee Franchise Bill Passes Senate

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• by: Colorado Pols

As the Colorado Springs Gazette reports:

A broad election reform bill that would allow paroled felons to vote was given final approval by the Senate on Thursday.

Senate Bill 83, sponsored by Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, mostly aims to correct technical problems in the state’s election laws. But the bill has provoked controversy by granting parolees the right to vote.

Sen. Josh Penry, R-Fruita, said the change violates the state constitution, citing GOP Attorney General John Suthers’ agreement.

Suthers told the House Republican Caucus on March 27 that “we believe the Colorado Constitution says you can’t have your right to vote restored until you’ve served your full term of imprisonment.”

In a July 2006 opinion, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution allows the General Assembly to deny parolees the right to vote. But the decision in Danielson vs. Dennis did not say that the constitution requires the Legislature to do so…