A federal judge ruled Sunday that a Florida law requiring people with felony convictions to pay off all their court fines and fees before being able to register to vote is unconstitutional.
The cheaters will not stop with this — they’re gonna get it sent up to ol’ Bart O’Kavanaugh with a semi-trailer load of beer kegs.
“I’ll show you where to shove your poll tax.”
This is such outrageous behavior.
Seriously, what will it take for Courts to use Section 3© of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to force pre-clearance on these states who have spent the years since Shelby County trying to disenfranchise people of color.
A change in the composition of the SCOTUS.
This is the fairly obvious reason Moscow Mitch has put so much effort into shaping the judiciary.
For example, Merrick Garland might have been amenable to such a motion.
The current majority, on the other hand, would only agree to that a day or two after Hell freezes over.
Before the Federalist society took control of the American judiciary this would have been an easy decision to predict. The fine payment requirement is a obvious poll tax and is unconstitutional per se.
I would point out to Republicans if you win elective office through chicanery, voter suppression or voter fraud, then you cannot claim your acts in office represent the will of the people. As such, every bill you pass and every judge you nominate is suspect, and should be subject to recall, in a just world.
This is true, however, as Bill Barr and Moscow Mitch would gladly opine, such judgments are the prerogative of the victor.
ETA: Yes, I think they are that nihilistic and cynical.
We have been getting some small victories in the courts lately.
But do they care?
Methinks not.
The Republicans next move will be an attempt to outsource the whole of the federal judiciary to the Federalist Society. A victory for privatization and the elimination of the middleman.
They don’t. But I think we Democrats should pound that point into the public conscience. Put Fox News and Republicans on the defensive. We should make every bill they pass look illegitimate, because it’s actually true.
Maybe. But the courts, particularly the Federal Courts, have been pretty universal in slamming Florida for this bill and the larger problem of how they deal with reinstating voting rights to returning citizens.
I think Desantis might just take the loss and move on. After all, there are plenty of republicans with felony convictions in the state of Florida, too.
“genuinely unable to pay”
See if they’d just get a job (required to disclose conviction on application, destroying their chances for jobs) of ask their families for money, or go out into the orange groves and cotton fields to pick like honest n*****s, they’d be able to make those payments in 15 or 20 years. We’d only charge 22% annual interest and make it a misdemeanor - 3 of which will become a felony - they’d incur by not paying the fine within six months of discovering it which they can’t do because of they haven’t taken the initiative to go to law school.
This public service reminder brought to you by the USGOP.
Even a small victory is still a victory in a day full of news of the despicable things the moron has been saying and doing, most of centered of Democratic party figures including Abrams, Pelosi and The Woman Who Would’ve Been President. He’s unraveling in real time.
A lot of people are saying Jim Crow laws work well against Covid 19. And some good studies, too! It is SAD that activist judges are keeping Florida from protecting its citizens from excess democracy while stimulating the economy by collecting money from convicts!
But maybe SCOTUS will say “we pass.” What FL has done is so egregiously illegal because, simplifying the issue, the governor overrode the will of the people who voted to do away with punitive fees for ex-felons.
Okay, I give up.
Can someone please untangle that headline for me?
Who is voting for Florida felons, anyway?
Some 1.4 residents with felony convictions could register to vote, under the amendment.
Probably more than 1.4, I’m thinking.