Palmesano Blasts Majority’s Effort to Allow Inmates to Vote from Prison
A statement by Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning)
October 31, 2019
“Recently, Majority politicians in Albany fought to provide inmates free iPads and free college degrees. They’ve pardoned sex offenders so they could vote. They want automatic parole for inmates once they turn age 55 regardless of the crime they committed. They even want to raise the minimum wage paid to inmates inside our state correctional facilities. These actions have caused a lot of sane lawmakers to wonder what’s next.
“Now we know. It’s even worse than we thought and yet another example of the extreme, out-of- touch agenda they are, alarmingly, looking to advance.
“Senate Majority has now submitted legislation which would grant inmates the right to vote from prison. At a time when inmates in our correctional facilities are more violent, more gang-affiliated and more likely to abuse drugs than ever before, Majority politicians want to reward them by offering them the most important privilege in our Democracy. Murderers and rapists in prison do not deserve the right to vote. They lost that privilege. This proposal is outrageous! It’s shameful, and is a tremendous insult to victims of crime and their families. My colleagues and I will be working tirelessly to make sure this bill never becomes law,” said Palmesano.