Washington (CNN) A pair of Republican-led bills in Florida's state legislature would require certain ex-felons, whose voting rights were restored last November in a statewide referendum, to pay fees before they can head to the polls. Republicans argue that the fees are part of an ex-felon's sentence and are thus obligatory. Democrats, however, charge that the Republican effort is an attempt to institute a modern-day "poll tax" to prevent ex-felons from voting. A similar bill has been introduced in the Florida state Senate's Criminal Justice Committee and the panel plans to vote on that measure Monday. They can range from a couple hundred to tens of thousands of dollars, said Lisa Foster, the co-director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center, a group that aims to eliminate fees in the US justice system.

Source: CNN March 23, 2019 14:26 UTC