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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Your Right To Vote
Kansas State District #12 Representative Frank Miller wants your right
to be a privilege.
February 17, 2005
As Americans we are given certain inalienable rights such as, Life,
Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. However, there is one right that, if a
group of our State Representatives have their way about it, would no longer be a
right but would in fact become a privilege much along the lines of getting a
drivers license. That right is the right to Vote!
On Wednesday, February 9, 2005 the house committee for Governmental Organization
and Elections asked the house to adopt HCR 5004, "A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION urging
Congress to modify the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993
to simplify the procedure for removal of voters from voter registration lists."
Spearheading and presenting this Resolution to the house was District #12 State
Representative, Frank Miller of Independence. Other signers of the resolution
were Dahl, Faber, Freebom, Goico, Huy, E. Johnson, McCreary, McLeland, Merrick,
Judy Morrison, Myers, Powers, and Siegfried. Notably also on this resolution was
District # 11 State Representative Virgil Peck Jr. of Tyro.
I was present when this resolution passed the house in a 74 to 45-division roll
call vote. Several State Representatives went to the well to voice their
opposition to this resolution. One State Representative, Tom Sawyer from
district #95, Wichita, called Representative Miller on a statement he had made
when presenting the resolution. Representative Miller had stated that "A lot" of
local election officials had come to committee meetings and voiced their
approval of the resolution. Representative Sawyer disputed that statement saying
that he had been at those committee meetings and that no one had shown up
speaking in favor of the resolution.
So exactly what does this resolution mean to the voters? If Congress considers
the resolution it could mean the repeal or amendment of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993. Representative Miller and his Committee want the
voters name stripped from the record if the voter does not vote in 3 concurrent
general elections. Representative Miller would also want the County Clerk to run
Notice in the Local Papers 1 month prior to a general election then again 1 week
prior to a general election stating that if you have not voted in the past 2
general elections and do not vote in the current one that you cannot vote again
until you reregister. Let me repeat those last few words..... YOU CANNOT VOTE
AGAIN UNTIL YOU REREGISTER!
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 protects our RIGHT to vote so that
situations such as the one I recently heard about do not occur. Back in the late
1980s a Coffeyville native who had lived at the same address her entire life and
had voted in almost every election since she had been old enough to vote went to
her polling place to cast her ballot. When she arrived she discovered that her
name had been struck from the register because she had not voted in the past few
elections. The Lady was 87 years old at the time and had exercised her right and
had chosen to not vote in the past few elections because, "She did not like any
of the Candidates which were running." Because she had exercised her right to
not vote her right to vote had been stripped from her, which was extremely
disappointing. This may have been this Ladies last chance to exercise her right
as an American Citizen and Vote. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 was
passed to protect the rights of American Citizens just like this lady from
Coffeyville but now it seems as though at least 2 of our local area
Representatives and the committee that they sit upon want to turn that right
into a privilege.
There are always other solutions to a problem (if indeed a problem exists), and
it is my feeling that all avenues were not explored before this resolution was
submitted by Representative Miller and his committee. The actual bill uses the
word "Failure" a couple of times. Also the original bill used the word "Most" to
state the number of times that you could fail to vote in a General election
before being struck from the register. This was later changed to "Least." Our
right as Americans and Kansans to vote or not to vote should not nor ever be
considered a "Failure" on our part to exercise our rights. The right to vote is
one of our "Most" important rights and should "Least" of all be infringed upon
by our elected officials. This resolution was ill conceived and little thought
out before being presented by Representative Miller and his committee to the
House.
In closing I would just like to state this simple solution to guarantee that
your name is on the register to vote and in the right ward or district.... Phone
your County Clerks Office and ask. They keep your voter registration information
in the Counties Data Base and it is easy to verify that your info is correct. If
it is not correct then all it takes is the filling out of a new voter
registration card to correct the problem. If you cannot get to the Court house
to get a voter registration card, the Clerks office will mail it to you. In this
way your right remains your right and not a privilege!
Always remember that the right to vote is not only every American Citizens right
it is also one of your most sacred duties. I urge you to contact your State
Senator, U.S. Senator and Congressional Representative today and tell them that
you are opposed to HCR5004 and that you want your rights protected. One voice
can make a difference!
-James "The GYPSY" George-
For More Information Contact:
PLURIBUSUNUM.NET THE FORUM OF DEMOCRACY
P.O. Box 653 - Independence, Kansas67301
Tel: (620) 331-5938
FAX:
Internet:
orator@pluribusunum.net
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