TAKING A STAND

MONTGOMERY An estimated 500 people marched to the state Capitol on
Friday, praying and urging Gov. Bob Riley to embrace the principle of
forgiveness and support making it easier for nonviolent felons to
regain their voting rights.

Black lawmakers and the Rev. Jesse Jackson led the eight-block march
down Dexter Avenue to protest Riley's rejection of a bill that would
help felons become eligible to vote after finishing their sentences
and restitution. They sang, chanted and cheered when a black
legislator called Riley's move "unjust and unrighteous."

But Riley said Friday he did the right thing by killing the felons'
voting bill last month and will do it again if lawmakers try to pass a
similar plan.

"It was the right decision, and it's going to remain the right
decision," Riley said in an interview. "I wouldn't change a thing
about it. There are too many people out there who continue to commit
crimes that I don't think ... should have their right to vote back.

"If a drug dealer sells an illegal drug to one of my grandchildren, to
be honest with you, I don't care that they ever get their rights
back," Riley said. "There are criminal sanctions out there, and this
is a part of them."

The bill, passed by the Legislature on June 16, would have given
nonviolent offenders who had completed their sentences and paid
restitution a certificate saying they were eligible to register to
vote. It would have excluded people convicted of murder, rape and
crimes against children.

State Rep. Yvonne Kennedy roused the perspiring crowd when she said
Riley had bowed to the pressures of the affluent few in the state,
while refusing to help the "least of these among us."

Kennedy, D-Mobile, said Riley's rejection of the bill has caused black
legislators to lose confidence in him as a governor.

Riley said he did not arrange to meet with Jackson or other
marchers.

"It's something they have a right to do. I have a fundamental problem
with what they're saying," he said. "This is about criminals and how
we treat criminals. It has nothing to do with the black and white issue."

The Legislative Black Caucus wanted to keep the felons' voting bill
and Riley's proposed $1.2 billion-a-year tax plan separate, but those
issues kept getting intertwined Friday during speeches and prayers.
Riley will need the support of blacks in a Sept. 9 referendum on his
tax and accountability plan.

The Rev. Abraham Woods Sr. said Riley would have had people vote for
the tax plan, but then he acted in bad faith by deciding not to sign
and enact as law the felons' voting bill.

"We thought he wanted to be fair. Legislators supported him, and now
he acts like he's got amnesia," Woods said. "We pray you kill his
amnesia. If he wants to get something done in this state, he's got to
treat black people right." Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham,
president of the black caucus, said the group has already chosen to
support the tax package because it is the best thing for the state.
But Kennedy said after the march that the caucus would get together
soon for another vote on whether to continue its support of the plan.

Smitherman said he could blast Riley about the felons' bill, while
asking voters to support his plan to restructure the tax system.

"We're not asking voters to trust Riley. We're asking them to trust
us. We would be appropriating the additional funds," Smitherman said.
"The tax situation will be an individual situation for the citizens.
We're just going to try and get them the facts. We are $500 million in
the hole. If we don't get additional money, we will have to make some
cuts." The Rev. Jack Zylman of Birmingham held a sign that read "Jesus
is an ex-felon." Zylman said Riley is abandoning Christian principals
by not allowing ex-felons a new start. Still, he plans to vote for the
tax package.

"I'll vote for the tax bill. It's better than we have now, but it's a
bad bill. But nobody else has proposed a good one," Zylman said.

Cornell Nobles of Midway can't seem to separate the two
issues.

"This is all about our rights as a human race of people. I won't vote
for the tax bill if he won't sign a felons' voting bill."