A bill before the Texas Senate would allow felons to seek public office only if they have received a pardon.
Current says a candidate who has been convicted of a felony must either be pardoned 鈥渙r otherwise released from the resulting disabilities鈥� 鈥� but it doesn鈥檛 define 鈥渞esulting disabilities.鈥� 466 would remove that clause.
The legislation 鈥� sponsored by state Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper 鈥� is in response to a felon who ran for Austin City Council last year.
Lewis Conway Jr.鈥檚 because of the ambiguous term. He and his lawyers argued that since he had served his sentence, completed his parole and had his voting rights reinstated, he was 鈥渞eleased from the resulting disabilities.鈥� The city clerk , but he didn鈥檛 win the District 1 seat.
鈥淲hen are we going to embrace compassion in regards to electoral politics and agree that a precedent has been set?鈥� Conway said in response to the bill. 鈥淲hy are we not looking at including people in the electoral process as opposed to excluding people?鈥�
Conway said he thinks more people are engaging with the criminal justice system and realizing that punishment isn鈥檛 serving the community.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a hard line of folks who believe that once you have been in prison, that you are no longer human,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut then there鈥檚 a great number of folks who realize that the criminal justice system pervasively impacts people of color - disproportionately.鈥�
Conway is forming a nonprofit to help candidates who have been incarcerated.
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