Thursday, August 21, 2014

Indicted city councilman introduces prisoner voting-rights bill



A Queens lawmaker who faces jail time if he’s convicted on charges of stealing $ 30,000 in public funds is introducing a bill Thursday requiring the city to inform prison inmates of their voting rights.


City Councilman Ruben Wills is the lead sponsor of a measure that will force the Department of Correction to publicize the right of prisoners — awaiting trial or convicted of misdemeanors — to vote. Convicted felons are barred from the ballot box.


City Hall insiders are snickering that the Queens Democrat, arrested in May for allegedly swiping government funds from a nonprofit that he once ran, might be planning to become a ­political kingpin behind bars.


“Fair, common-sense legislation has absolutely nothing to do with any legal issues I may be going through and it has been something I have been researching for a couple of years,” said Wills, who is fighting the charges.





Yahoo Local News – New York Post




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