MN Supreme Court upholds felons' voting rights law
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld a law that restores the voting rights of convicted felons after they've been released from prison.
READ MORE: Felon voting registration events held following new law enactment
What the law says
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed the bill last year, restoring the right to vote for about 55,000 convicted felons. The previous policy allowed them to vote only after they completed the entirety of their sentences, which could include years of parole after they have been released.
READ MORE: Gov. Walz signs bill restoring voting rights for 55K felons
The bill requires the Minnesota Department of Corrections or judiciary system officials to provide written notice and voter registration application to individuals upon their release from incarceration.
READ MORE: Released felon new voters are Minnesota’s largest influx since 1971
This latest ruling comes after a Minnesota appeals court ruled in favor of two convicts when a Mille Lacs County judge tried strip away their voting rights.
What others are saying
The Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC), which describes itself as a center-right, nonprofit public interest law firm, said it is "disappointed that this decision makes it more difficult for Minnesota taxpayers to hold their government accountable and leaves the constitutional questions in this case unanswered."
The UMLC previously spoke out against using taxpayer funds to educate convicted felons who can cast a ballot, saying it went against the state constitution.
Minnesota Supreme Court justices disagreed, saying most new laws require some public spending.