ID laws, felon’s rights 2 separate issues

Jean NcMenimen's guest column (“Voter ID laws infringe on right to vote,” July 26) was critical of voter ID issues. She then addressed Gov. Terry Branstad's policy relating to restoring the rights of felons to vote.

She has confused the issue of disenfranchising a segment of the voting public with denying felons who cannot prove they have completed their legal obligations their voting rights. Our judicial system penalizes convicted felons with incarceration and with fines for victim restitution. What Branstad has insisted is that felons who are released from prison also prove that they have paid their fines. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case since felons cannot earn significant money while in prison and victim restitution is frequently a large sum. The problem lies with the judicial system.

I don't know what the solution is, perhaps paying prisoners the minimum wage and applying it to their fines or reducing the restitution amounts, but don't get on the governor by claiming he is denying voters' rights, particularly when there are real voter ID issues that are a larger concern.

The contention that voter fraud is prevalent may or may not be the case (I doubt that it is), but requiring a state-issued voter ID is not going to prevent this; just ask any bar owner about how difficult it is to get a fake ID. Our problem is not illegal voting but rather people who don't vote at all.

Gordon Taylor

Anamosa