Penry: Democrats wrong to let felons vote

Sen. Josh Penry, R-Fruita, today fought unsuccessfully to stop felons on parole from being given full voting rights. Under longstanding current law, such felons do not become eligible to vote until after they complete their parole; however, majority Senate Democrats voted to scrap that law.

“The overwhelming majority of states recognize that a criminal must finish paying his debt to society before he becomes a full citizen again,” said Penry.

“Colorado law has stood on that principle since our Constitution was written 131 years ago, and it doesn’t need to change today.”

Penry made his stand during debate on Senate Bill 83, which is an all-purpose clean-up of the state’s elections procedures. Several weeks ago the Democrat bill was amended by Senate President Pro-tem Peter Groff, D-Denver, to include a provision that allows parolees to vote.

Senate Democrats opposed Penry’s efforts to reverse that change.

“When you look at moving people from prison to society, the more things we can get them to be responsible for the less likely they are to go back in,” said Groff.

Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon, D-Denver, suggested that former prisoners should be able to vote in elections.

“If somebody is on parole, they’re trying to get their life back together, and they’re trying to get a job should they be eligible to participate in an election?” he asked. “I think the answer to that should be yes.”

Penry responded, "Senator Groff argues these people have satisfied their debt to society, they should be given their full rights under the Constitution. The truth is, they have not served their full sentence until not only have they finished their prison sentence, but they have finished their parole.”

After the debate, Penry added, “Voting is a cherished right, not therapy for convicts. If we want them to be given more responsibility, buy them a dog.”

Democrats defeated the Penry amendment – thereby allowing parolees to vote – on a strict party-line vote.