Goodell Reacts to Cuomo's Executive Order Restoring Voting Rights to Parolees
4/19/2018 6:25:57 PM
By Dave Rowley, News Director
Chautauqua County's representative in the State Assembly says lawmakers will review details of Governor Andrew Cuomo's executive order restoring the voting rights of parolees. Republican Senate Leader John Flanagan said Wednesday the move is bad public policy, and potentially illegal since Cuomo chose to sidestep the legislature. Local Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, who is also a Republican, says that's a good question. Goodell says any such measure has to "work within the law"...
Andrew Goodell: has to work within the law
The order could impact up to 35,000 parolees who currently aren't allowed to vote. Cuomo's directive will give corrections officials the power to block some former inmates from regaining the right to cast a ballot. Goodell says the legislature does have some recourse, if lawmakers chose that path...
Andrew Goodell: possible recourse
A total of 14 states and the District of Columbia already allow people to vote once they are released from incarceration.