Saying "there should not be a wait to participate," Nebraskans gathered in the Capitol on Friday to support felons getting their voting rights back more quickly.Â
Representatives of the newly formed Voting Rights Restoration Coalition backed two legislative proposals that would expand voting rights for Nebraskans convicted of felonies.Â
The bill (LB20), introduced by Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, would restore felons' voting rights as soon as they finish their sentences, including any period of probation or parole. Current state law requires felons to wait two years after finishing their sentences before they can vote.
Wayne said the waiting period served no purpose and that being able to vote offers one of the best ways to get people engaged in their community, which saves the state money by reducing recidivism.Â
"This is a punitive and arbitrary constraint on those who have already fulfilled their obligations to society," said Jasmine Harris, director of public policy and advocacy for RISE, one of the coalition members.Â
A proposed constitutional amendment (LR4CA), introduced by Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, would allow people to keep their right to vote even if convicted of a felony.
It would remove language that dates to Nebraska’s Constitution from 1875. It would still bar people from voting if they are mentally incompetent or have been convicted of treason.
Nebraska is among only 11 states that do not allow felons to vote immediately upon completing their sentences. Two states do not take away voting rights at all, while the rest restore voting rights either after a person completes prison time or after they complete prison, probation and parole.
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Nebraska's current law was passed in 2005 over the veto of then-Gov. Dave Heineman. The two-year waiting period was included as part of a compromise.Â
State lawmakers passed a Wayne-sponsored bill in 2017 to do away with the two-year wait, but the measure was vetoed by Gov. Pete Ricketts.
In his veto message, Ricketts said the bill violated the state constitution by assuming the power to pardon that properly belongs to the executive branch of government. He also argued that the two-year waiting period gives felons an incentive to maintain a clean record.
Wayne said he has not talked with Gov. Jim Pillen about the issue yet.Â
Shakur Abdullah, advocacy lead for the Community Justice Center and founder of JustUS15Vote, said he was affected by the current law when he finished his sentence in 2016. He said the two-year wait kept him marginalized.
He noted that felon voting bans spread after the Civil War as a way to reduce the number of freed slaves who could vote. JustUs15Vote is a reference to the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted the right to vote to Americans irrespective of race, color or previous enslavement.Â
Nicole Porter, senior director of advocacy for the Sentencing Project, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., said an estimated 20,000 Nebraskans currently cannot vote because they are serving felony sentences or are in the two-year waiting period. A report released in 2017 by Civic Nebraska estimated that more than 7,000 Nebraskans were in the waiting period.Â
Photos: 2023 Nebraska legislative session
The Nebraska Legislature reconvened on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
EILEEN T. MESLAR, WORLD-HERALD
The 108th Nebraska Legislature convened for its first session on Wednesday, when a Republican-led effort to adopt public voting for leadership positions was postponed to another day.
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Sen. John Arch speaks before unanimously being voted in as the new speaker of the Legislature.
EILEEN T. MESLAR, Omaha WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska State Sen. John Arch speaks before unanimously being voted in as the new Speaker of the Legislature on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska Chief Justice Michael G. Heavican swears in Nebraska State Sen. John Arch as the new Speaker of the Legislature on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Brad Von Gillern on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Beau Ballard (right) shakes hands with Nebraska Chief Justice Michael G. Heavican as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Barry DeKay (right) speaks to State Sen. Rick Holdcroft as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Danielle Conrad speaks to State Sen. to Tony Vargas as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Brandon Metzler is the newly elected Clerk of the Nebraska Legislature. The Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Lynne Walz nominates herself to be the chair of the Education Committee as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday.Â
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Nebraska State Sen. Teresa Ibach (left) congratulates State Sen. Merv Riepe after being elected to Business and Labor Committee Chairperson as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday.
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Nebraska State Sen. Brian Hardin on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Brian Hardin on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Jan. 4.
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Nebraska State Sen. Jana Hughes on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Teresa Ibach on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha (right) hugs Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont after she lost the vote for Education Committee chairperson at the beginning of the 2023 session.
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Nebraska State Sen. Lou Linehan on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln has introduced a bill to appropriate $25 million in general fund tax dollars to begin planning for an East Beltway.
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Nebraska State Sen. Lynne Walz nominates herself to be the chair of the Education Committee as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday.Â
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Nebraska State Sen. George Dungan on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Tom Brewer on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Rita Sanders on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska Sen. Dave Murman has introduced a bill to limit the pay and benefits for Nebraska's top-paid school superintendents.
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Nebraska State Sen. Lynne Walz lost the vote for Education Committee Chairperson as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday.
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Nebraska State Sen. Tom Brewer on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska state senators tally votes for the Education Committee Chairperson as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday.
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Nebraska State Sen. Loren Lippincott on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Justin Wayne on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Lynne Walz nominates herself to be the chair of the Education Committee as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday.
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Nebraska State Sen. Rick Holdcroft on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Robert Dover on the legislative floor as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Tony Vargas speaks to State Sen. Teresa Ibach as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Jane Raybould writes at her desk as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Brandon Metzler is the newly elected Clerk of the Nebraska Legislature. The Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington stands for a prayer as the Legislature reconvened Jan. 4.
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The Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Jane Raybould (left) speaks with State Sen. Robert Dover as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Megan Hunt speaks as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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The Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. John Fredrickson says goodbye to his family after getting sworn in as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Newly elected Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler collects votes as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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The Nebraska Legislature reconvened on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Newly elected Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler speaks as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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State senators speak as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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State senators speak as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Christy Armendariz (left) and State Sen. Wendy DeBoer shake hands with other state senators after getting sworn in as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
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Nebraska State Sen. Robert Dover (left) speaks with State Sen. Danielle Conrad (center) and State Sen. Jane Raybould as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
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Nebraska State Sen. Kathleen Kauth speaks to other senators as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska state senators are sworn in as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska state senators are sworn in as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Christy Armendariz (right) hugs State Sen. Kathleen Kauth after getting sworn in as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Barry DeKay is sworn in as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. John Fredrickson shakes hands with other state senators after getting sworn in as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh sits with her family as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. John Fredrickson stands with his family before getting sworn in as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh sits with her family as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Newly elected Clerk of the Legislature Brandon Metzler (right) speaks with Nebraska State Sen. Christy Armendariz as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
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Nebraska State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan shakes hands with State Sen. Rick Holdcroft as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Christy Armendariz stands for the Pledge of Allegiance as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha stands with his family on the first day of the 2023 legislative session on Jan. 4, 2023.
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The Nebraska Legislature reconvened on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
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Nebraska State Sen. Julie Slama speaks with other senators as the Nebraska Legislature reconvened in Lincoln on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
EILEEN T. MESLAR, WORLD-HERALD
The Nebraska Legislature reconvened on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
EILEEN T. MESLAR, WORLD-HERALD
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