HOUSE PASSES BILL ALLOWING FELONS ON PROBATION TO VOTE

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ Thousands of felons on probation would have
their voting rights restored under a bill approved by the state House
Wednesday.

The bill, approved 80-63 by the Democrat-controlled chamber, would
allow felons to vote while on probation, but not while in prison.
Under current law, felons cannot vote until after they complete
probation.

Eight Republicans joined a majority of Democrats in voting for the
bill, which Gov. John G. Rowland has said he will sign.

The House also approved the bill last year, but the measure was not
taken up in the Senate. Connecticut is one of 29 states that does not
allow felons on probation to vote, according to DemocracyWorks, an
advocacy group that supports the bill.

Supporters called the bill a civil rights advancement, because many
of the more than 35,000 felons who would be affected are members of
minority groups.

``A significant number of African American and Latino men are losing
the right to vote. That's an empirical fact,'' said Rep. Michael
Lawlor, D-East Haven, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a
key supporter of the bill.

Lawlor and other supporters also said restoring voting rights to
those on probation would help reintegrate prisoners into the
community.

But opponents called probation an important part of punishment and
said criminals should pay their full debt to society before winning
back the right to vote.

Rep. Lawrence Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, said it was more important to
let felons know they can vote once they complete their sentence than
restoring the voting rights of those on probation.

``Convicted felons have the right to vote as we speak. It's not a
question of whether they have the right to vote, but whether they
know it,'' Cafero said.

Cafero, a lawyer, said the average time spent on probation is about
three years.

The House defeated an amendment offered by Lawlor and other Democrats
that would have prevented those on probation from running for or
holding office.

Opponents said it was inconsistent to restore some rights for
probationers, but not all, and said it was unconstitutional to limit
the right of eligible voters to run for state House or Senate.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

Earlier Wednesday, the Senate passed a bill that would allow people
of nonviolent theft to be eligible for a special form of probation
known as accelerated rehabilitation.

The bill, 25-9, would extend the accelerated program to first-time
offenders convicted of first-degree larceny, which is theft of
property worth more than $10,000, as long as the crime was nonviolent.

The program is currently reserved for first-time offenders who commit
nonviolent crimes. The convict's record would be cleared following
two years' probation.

Supporters said the bill would give judges more discretion and
flexibility in sentencing nonviolent offenders, and relieve
overcrowding in state prisons.

A report by the Legislature's nonpartisan fiscal office said there
were 924 people convicted of first-degree larceny last year _ 142 of
whom went to prison. At an average annual cost of about $26,000 per
prisoner, the bill could save as much as $3.7 million per year,
depending on how many of the offenses were nonviolent, the fiscal
office said.

Sen. George L. Gunther, R-Stratford, sought an amendment that would
have prevented state lawmakers from becoming eligible for the
probation program.

He said he had ``great reservations'' about the program and didn't
want to promote a public perception that elected officials ``get away
with murder.'' His amendment was defeated.

The bill now goes to the House.
Associated Press Writer Ron Zapata contributed to this story.