Iowa felon voting rights amendment advances through Senate subcommittee

Stephen Gruber-Miller
The Des Moines Register

Rick Sattler wants to feel like his opinions matter again.

As a convicted felon, Sattler, who lives in the Iowa City area, is prohibited from voting. He said he understands his crime — a 2006 conviction for vehicular homicide caused by reckless driving — is a terrible thing, but he says he's served his sentence and it shouldn't define who he is.

"I feel it’s essential as a member of society to have a voice," he said. "That’s why we’re all here. That’s why we’re in this country, that’s why we’re all a community. With not having that voice no matter what I do or how I feel about anything (it) doesn’t matter."

Iowa lawmakers heard Sattler's voice, and many others, on Wednesday when a three-member Senate judiciary subcommittee unanimously passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would make felons automatically eligible to vote after they complete their sentences, as has Sattler.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds holds a news conference on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.

Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, called for lawmakers to pass the amendment in her Condition of the State address in January. Her office, and a broad array of advocacy groups, urged senators Wednesday to support the measure. No one spoke against it.

Drew Klein, a lobbyist with Americans for Prosperity, said there's no public safety purpose served by banning felons from voting, and it could make it more difficult for felons to reintegrate into society.

"When we treat people like second-class citizens when they’re done with their sentence we contribute to a cycle of recidivism," Klein said.

Mark Stringer, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, said the ban on felon voting includes not only violent crimes but nonviolent offenses like causing more than $1,000 in property damage.

"A young person who does damage to a RAGBRAI bike that’s worth more than $1,500 could be convicted of a felony and lose their right to vote in Iowa for the rest of their life," he said. "This doesn't feel right to me."

Sattler said it's alienating to not be able to fully participate in society. Iowa is one of only two states, along with Kentucky, that permanently prohibits all felons from voting unless their rights are restored by the governor.

"The bottom line is what is the goal in banning people like me from voting?" Sattler said. "I’ve served the terms of my sentence. I’m doing my best to be a contributing member of society."

Sattler received a 10-year suspended prison sentence for his crime and served five years on probation. But he's still working on paying off $150,000 in restitution to the victim's estate.

Some Republican senators have said they'd like to require victim restitution to be paid, or include other conditions before before felons become eligible to vote again.

Sattler said if that happens he may never be able to vote again. He said he has about $130,000 left to pay. Although he currently works a job, he said it's often difficult for felons to get hired, making it harder to pay off restitution.

Sen. Dan Dawson, a Council Bluffs Republican who chaired the judiciary subcommittee Wednesday, is one of those who has spoken favorably about requiring restitution payments and other conditions before voting rights are restored. He supported the measure Wednesday but said it will be up to the Legislature to define what it means for felons to complete their sentences.

Reynolds' office said Monday that she has restored voting rights for 114 people in 2018 and 2019, with eight more expected in the near future.

Democrats have urged Reynolds to go further and sign an executive order immediately restoring voting rights for felons who have completed their sentences, as previous Democratic governors have done. Reynolds told reporters Wednesday she is working on the issue every day "because I believe it's the right thing to do."

"The fact that she has emphasized the importance of second chances I believe is important but she does have the power of an executive order," said Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines.

The process of passing a constitutional amendment in Iowa takes years. Amendments must be passed by the Iowa Legislature in two separately elected two-year general assemblies and approved by Iowans in a statewide vote. The earliest Reynolds’ proposal could take effect would be 2022.

To advance this year, the amendment must pass a full committee vote before March 8, which is the first so-called legislative funnel — a deadline for considering legislation that requires bills to have moved out of committee. An identical proposal passed a House subcommittee in January, and a full committee vote is expected next week.

Iowans are broadly supportive of restoring voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences, a recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows. Sixty-four percent of Iowans say they support restoring voting rights with 29 percent opposed and 7 percent not sure.