Iowa governor signs voting rights bill requiring restitution

iowa-capitol

Des Moines, Ia (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill Thursday that will allow convicted felons to get their voting rights back only after they have paid full restitution to victims. The bill becomes effective if the legislature passes a proposed constitutional amendment automatically restoring voting rights for convicted felons. Reynolds, who has pushed for restoration of felon voting rights, initially opposed Republican lawmakers’ efforts to pass the restitution requirement. However, she changed her position once GOP senators said they would not pass the constitutional amendment unless she agreed to the repayment requirement. It’s unclear if the bill will withstand a court challenge since a similar measure in Florida was struck down as unconstitutional.