The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition Plans A Day of Action on the Capitol - Speaks Out Against Prohibitive Mandates

Press Conference Scheduled for Tuesday, March 14 at 11AM At the Senate Chambers

For Immediate Release: March 13, 2006

Media Contacts:
On site: Howard Simon, ACLU of Florida – (786) 208-7103
On site: Leah Barber-Heinz, People For the American Way – (850) 294-6087
Miami: Brandon Hensler, ACLU of Florida – (305) 576-2336, x16

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition will gather at the Capitol on Tuesday to discuss ongoing efforts to remove Florida’s voting ban for ex-felons from the State Constitution. A full day of activities is scheduled for several groups who will be traveling from around the state to make their position known on the issue of the restoration of felons’ rights. Coalition members will be meeting with key legislators and participating in a press conference. Ex-felons from around the state will be part of the group and available for press interviews.

“It is past time to end the injustice of Florida’s Civil War-era system that deprives citizens of the right to vote for the rest of their lives,” said Howard Simon, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, a founding member of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. “Most convicted felons were young when they committed their crimes and served their due punishment. They have since moved on to hold jobs, raise families and become productive citizens. They should not continue to be deprived of their basic constitutional right to vote and be relegated to a second-class citizenship.”

“After paying their debt to society, thousands of Floridians are still being silenced and denied their basic civil rights. We are here today to continue to shine a light on this important issue and to educate lawmakers and the public about this injustice,” said Reginald Mitchell, Florida Legal Counsel for People For the American Way. “Florida is one of only three states in the country that permanently prohibits felons from voting even after they have served their sentence. The time for change is now.”

WHAT: PRESS CONFERENCE FOR RIGHTS RESTORATION
WHEN: TUESDAY, MARCH 14 AT 11:00AM
WHERE: 4TH FLOOR OF THE CAPITOL, OUTSIDE THE SENATE CHAMBERS
WHO: Marion Bacon White, President of the FRRC, also with the11th Episcopal District Lay
Organization of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
Howard Simon, Executive Director, ACLU of Florida
Senator Frederica S. Wilson, District 33 (D)
Reggie Mitchell, People For the American Way

About the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) is a non-partisan statewide coalition of nearly forty local, state and national organizations dedicated to achieving permanent reform through a state constitutional amendment. They have recently embarked on a campaign to place an amendment on the statewide ballot that would automatically restore voting rights for people with past felonies upon the completion of their sentences. The FRRC, which was formed at an ACLU-sponsored statewide meeting of organizations and activists in Tampa in March 2003, will organize local working groups to coordinate signature-gathering in various areas of the state. Until permanent reform can be achieved, the FRRC is also dedicated to helping people through the current process of applying for restoration of their civil and voting rights.

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