Support for ex-felons' rights

I would like to thank the Legislature for amending Sen. Brent Goodfellow's SB47, a felon's right to vote, to include Sen. Parley Hellewell's SB181, restoring a felon's right to hold political office. As it was written before, SB47 would have taken that right away. The amendment now allows those who have a felony conviction and have not committed another felony for 10 years, or who have had their record expunged, to hold a political office in Utah.

Last fall my husband ran for mayor of Eagle Mountain. State and city officials said he was not a qualified candidate because of his felony conviction for a theft more than 15 years before — when he was 19. Now, with this amended bill, ex-felons can run and hold political office in our state.

Anjanette Lofgren

Eagle Mountain