Republican Wins in Maryland, Democrats Turn to Murderers, Rapists and Criminals to Prevent It From Happening Again

Maryland is commonly known as the “Free State” and yet many also know it as the “Old Line State”. The latter being a reference to the Maryland line's consistency and unwavering dedication during the American Revolution. As National Review discusses, Governor Larry Hogan is still attempting to “hold the line” in a battle that has been waging over a felon's "right to vote": 

If you aren’t willing to follow the law yourself, then you can’t demand a role in making the law for everyone else, which is what you do when you vote. We don’t let everyone vote — not children, not non-citizens, not the mentally incompetent, and not felons — because we have certain objective, minimum standards of responsibility and commitment to our laws that must be met before someone is given a role in the solemn enterprise of self-government. People who have committed a serious crime against their fellow citizens don’t meet those standards.

The right to vote can be restored to felons, but it should be done carefully, on a case-by-case basis after a person has shown that he or she has really turned over a new leaf, not automatically on the day someone walks out of prison — let alone when parole and probation have not yet been served. After all, the unfortunate truth is that most people who walk out of prison will be walking back in. Deep down, the Left knows all this; that’s why, though it is happy to let felons vote, it is somehow reluctant to restore their Second Amendment rights.

The real reason for this fight is not some noble cause for felons who have served their time.  It is pure crass politics to make it even harder for a Republican like Larry Hogan to win an election.  As a recent study concluded:

[A] study of how criminals vote found that most convicts register Democratic, a key reason in why liberal lawmakers and governors are eager for them to get back into the voting booth after their release.

“Democrats would benefit from additional ex-felon participation,” said the authoritative study in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

As a new legislative session begins, Governor Hogan’s veto of the bill in question is under partisan fire. Democrats have continued their attempt override it. Let us hope that the Governor’s veto holds.