Felons could soon be able to gain back the right to vote after paying their restitution fines. Senator Rich Taylor believes it’s a smart bill to pass and tells KCII News the inner workings of the bill, “If you served your time and probation time and everything, you would get your voting rights back. I think that’s a good idea because it makes people that have maybe made a mistake in life feel like they are part of society again, and gives them some hope that they can live a normal life. But, when you still can’t vote that’s telling you you’re still a bad person, and you’re probably not. And to put that stipulation in there that you have to pay all of your fines, that’s basically a poll tax. A lot of these fines it’ll take years and years, and some of them may never get paid back, and restitutions may never get paid back.” Taylor says those who committed serious crimes, like murder or rape, will most likely never pay back their fines or be relased from prison, thus they’re unlikely to gain back the right to vote. The bill is a constitutional amendment and will not be implemented until at least 2023. It will have to pass through two legislative sessions, and go to a public vote in order to be implemented.