[ APPLAUSE ] [ CROWD CHANTING]
>>> ONE OF THE BIG STORIES OF
ELECTION NIGHT LAST YEAR WAS IN
FLORIDA.
FLORIDA. AMENDMENT FOUR.
AMENDMENT FOUR. THEY WERE CHANTING YES ON FOUR
PASSED WITH ALMOST 65% OF THE
VOTE ON A NIGHT WHEN PEOPLE
ELECTED A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR NO
LESS.
LESS. AND THEY’RE TRYING TO GUT
PASSAGE OF THAT AMENDMENT OR AT
LEAST ONE OF ITS KEY AND CENTRAL
PROVISIONS.
PROVISIONS. IT WOULD REQUIRE COURT COSTS
BEFORE FELONS CAN GET THEIR
VOTING RIGHTS BACK.
THEY CALL IT A MODERN DAY POLL
TAX.
TAX. AND HIMSELF A FORMER FELON, HAS
HIMSELF RECEIVED A LAW DEGREE.
HE JOINS ME TONIGHT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS LENL
SLAGZ?
SLAGZ? >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME BACK ON THE SHOW.
I DON’T THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST
WHAT WE’RE SEEING IS SELECT
GROUP OF POLITICIANS THAT HAVE
SHOWN THAT THEY’VE HAD LITTLE TO
NO REGARD FOR THE WILL OF
FLORIDA VOTERS.
FLORIDA VOTERS. MANY OF WHOM ARE EVEN IN THEIR
OWN DISTRICT.
OWN DISTRICT. AND WE’VE SEEN THESE SAME
POLITICIANS THAT HAVE THUMBED
THEIR NOSE AT OUR JUDICIAL
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. >> SO YOU PUT TOGETHER AMAZING
BIPARTISAN COALITION.
BIPARTISAN COALITION. IF YOU PASSED SOMETHING BY 65%,
THERE ARE LIBERALS AND
CONSERVATIVES, BLACK AND WHITE.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
WHO ARE THE POLITICIANS AND WHAT
IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT
THEY’RE TRYING TO DO?
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
LANGUAGE, NOT ONLY DO YOU SEE
THAT THEY’RE TRYING TO EXPAND
WHAT COMPLETION OF SENTENCE
MEANS, BUT THEY’RE ALLOWING
OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE
AGENCIES OUTSIDE OF THE COURT TO
DETERM AN PERSON’S SENTENCE AND
TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT AN
AMERICAN CITIZEN WOULD BE ABLE
TO REGISTER TO VOTE.
>> SO THAT MEANS THIS LENL SLAGZ
LEGISLATION, THE AMENDMENT SAYS
THEY GET THEIR VOTING RIGHTS
BACK WHEN THEY COMPLETE THE
SENTENCE AND THEY’RE SAYING
COMPLETE THE SENTENCE MOONS
FINES AND WHAT ELSE?
>> THEY’RE TRY TO ADD COURT
COSTS AND OTHER MONETARY
OBLIGATIONS THAT CAN SOMEHOW OR
ANOTHER BE ATTACHED TO A
SENTENCE WHEN IT’S REALLY NOT.
AT ITS CORE WHAT WE’RE LOOKING
AT IS WE WENT THROUGH A PHASE
WHERE WHEN WE SUBMITTED THE
LANGUAGE BEFORE OUR FLORIDA
SUPREME COURT AND WITH A
UNANIMOUS OPINION, THE FLORIDA
SUPREME COURT AGREED THAT OUR
LANGUAGE WAS CLEAR, NOT
AMBIGUOUS, NOT MISLEADING TO THE
VOTERS AND THAT THE VOTERS KNEW
EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE VOTING
FOR, WHICH IS ONCE A A PERSON
COMPLETES TERM OF INCARCERATION,
PROBATION AND A IN A CASE WHERE
A JUDGE ORDERS RESTORATION, REST
TUESDAYIC MAS IT COMPLETE.
THEY’RE TRYING TO ADD ON TOP OF
WHAT THE FLORIDA VOTER HAS
AGREED ON.
AGREED ON. >> SO THAT’S ALREADY -- THAT
MEANING OF WHAT AMENDMENT FOUR
MEANS WHICH IS INCARCERATION,
ARREST AND RESTITUTION, THAT IS
THE TERM AND THEY’RE TRYING TO
TACK ATOP THAT OTHER FEES AND
FINES?
FINES? >> YES.
>> YES. BUT IT’S A BIGGER ISSUE THAT
THEY’RE TOYING WITH.
WHAT THIS CANOUNTRY SEEN IS THAT
PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE
AND PLITOLITICAL PERSUASIONS CAM
TOGETHER AND SAID WHEN THE DEBT
IS PAID, IT’S PAID AND THEY GAVE
US VOTES OF LOVE AND WE DID IT
WITHOUT ENGAGING IN PARTISAN
PALL TLKS.
PALL TLKS. WHAT THIS WORLD SEEN WAS HOW
MUCH WE CAN ACCOMPLISH WHEN
POLITICIANS KEEP THEIR HANDS OUT
OF THE PEOPLE’S BUSINESS.
NOW THEY’RE TRYING TO DRAG THIS
MOMENTOUS WIN.
MOMENTOUS WIN. THEY’RE TRYING TO DRAG THIS
MOMENT WHERE WE BROUGHT PEOPLE
TOGETHER, THIS UNIFYING MOMENT
WHERE PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF
LIFE AND POLITICAL PERSUASIONS
CAME TOGETHER AND YOU’RE TRYING
TO DIVIDE US ALONG PARTISAN
LINES.
LINES. AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.
TO ME IT’S UNPANCREATIC, BECAUSE
THE COURTS HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN
AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE
INGARNLING IN WLEJ SLATIVELEGISL
OVER REACH.
OVER REACH. >> I IMAGINE IT MATTERS WHAT THE
STATE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP AND
THE GOVERNOR MAKE OF IT HAD TO
GIVE INDICATIONS OF WHETHER THEY
SUPPORT OR OPPOSE THE
LEGISLATION.
LEGISLATION. >> ONE OF THE THINGS I CAN SAY
IS GOVERNOR -- ONE OF HIS TAG
LINES HE SAYS SO OFTEN IS ABOUT
OPERATING UNDER RULE OF LAW.
I DO BELIEVE THAT IF FOLKS WOULD
JUST OPERATE UNDER THE RULE OF
LAW AND RESPECT THE WILL OF ITS
VOTERS EVERYTHING WOULD BE OKAY.
I DON’T BELIEVE EVERY
LEGISLATURE IS
LEGISLATURE IS LEGISLATURE SEEKING TO HELP
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. THEY HAVE ELECTIONS IN
JACKSONVILLE THE OTHER DAY.
AND TO HEAR THE STORIES OF
PEOPLE THAT HAVEN’T VOTED IN 20
OR 30 YEARS WITH TEARS DOWN
THEIR EYES FEELING LIKE AN
AMERICAN CITIZEN AGAIN TOO, HAVE
A SELECT GROUP OF POLITICIANS
TRY TO THWART THAT, IT’S A
SHAME.
SHAME. AND WE’RE EBSXPECTING LEADERSHIP
IN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE AND
THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION TO STAND
UP AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST THAT
AND TELL THESE SELECT GROUP OF
LEGISLATURES THAT THEY MUST
RESPECT THE WILL OF THE VOTERS
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY
IT’S OUR WILL THAT COUNTS MORE