“To not do so is more than reckless or irresponsible, it is unjust.”It’s hard to argue with that logic, but Mr. Scott found a way. The message wasn’t meant to be welcoming, and Floridians have responded accordingly — the number of restoration requests has cratered during Mr. Scott’s tenure. In one case involving a man who had been convicted of manslaughter after drunken driving, Mr. Scott, whose microphone remained on, turned and whispered to a board member, “That’s how my uncle died.”With condolences to Mr. Scott, this is absurd. Legal challenges have fallen short, the governor is no friend to voting rights, and lawmakers have limited power when it comes to constitutional amendments. It’s time for Florida’s voters to step up and restore the most fundamental constitutional right to more than a million of their neighbors.

Source: New York Times January 03, 2018 00:45 UTC