LINCOLN- TJ King, an outreach specialist with the Nebraska AIDS Project, came off probation in August after serving time for drug and theft convictions. In many states, he could have voted in last year's general election, but Nebraska requires a two-year wait after the completion of a felony sentence before someone can register. Voting, according to King, gives "a little bit of your strength back and a little bit of your voice back."

Under a new bill, LB20, introduced by Sen. Justin Wayne, this waiting period would be eliminated. Wayne stated that, when going door to door while running for office, he was told by a large portion of Nebraska residents that, although they support him, they would not be allowed to vote for him. This prompted him to introduce LB20, and he has introduced the same bill several times in the past. IN 2017, when the same bill passed, it was vetoed by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

"When people get out of our system, they've got to feel engaged in their community," said Wayne during a public hearing for LB20, "and the number one way for a person to feel engaged in their community is to be able to vote for the leadership of that community." After receiving substantial support, Kathy Wilmot, a member of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, stood in opposition to the bill, saying that the waiting period reinforces the idea that voting is a special process.

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