Scott County KFTC members had a tremendous Singing For Democracy Gospel Fest in Georgetown last night with about 150 people happily crammed into the Ed Davis Learning Center to listen to some great gospel music and to educate each other on how we can work to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their time.

The program included powerful singers like Chris Willis, Lonnie Cowan, Margaret Sweat, and Maria Houghton, local religious leaders like Rev Joseph Jackson and Rev Rodney Mason, and former felons from Georgetown and elsewhere taking the mic to tell their stories.  One act was even the local cheer leading group the Mud Turtles. 

Event participants also got to see a big preview of the voting rights digital stories film by Seed Lynn through the Highlander Center's Zilphia Horton Project. 

The Georgetown News-Graphic was also at the event and we're looking forward to seeing the story in the next few days.

We've had similar events in Louisville and Lexington over the last 9 months, but this Singing For Democracy was special because of where it was. Senator Damon Thayer, the Chair of the State and Local Government Committee is the individual most responsible for blocking a bill to restore voting rights to former felons in recent years - and Georgetown is his hometown. 

Scott County KFTC members used the process of organizing the event  to bring together churches and individuals in a key communities to raise awareness of felony disenfranchisement.  We had numerous planning meetings and outreach events for the event, including going door-to-door, visiting churches, tabling at basketball games, and posting flyers.   

“Forgiveness, loving your neighbor, compassion - If we truly believed all of that, then we wouldn’t have to have this discussion about whether former felons can vote or not.   God is always watching – and we’d better make this right.”

                       – Tayna Fogle, former felon, and key event organizer

Special Thanks To:
The Brighton Center, People Advocating Recovery, Connie Willis, Steppin To A New Beat participants, Ed Davis Learning Center, Never Alone, Scott County NAACP, Catholic Conference, ACLU, Key Conversations (1580 AM), King Cobras, Lexington Nightwhawks, Brothers Unite, Regulators, Recovery Voices Count, Highlander Center, Chronic Pain Support, and all of the members of the Boston Community in Georgetown!

Scott County KFTC members are going straight from this event to their first Annual Meeting Chapter Meeting this Thursday (August 5th) at 7pm at Saints Francis and John Catholic Parish on Main Street in Georgetown.  Chapter members are looking forward to having some new faces at the meeting on account of the big event.  If you're in the area, please consider joining them.

Even if you couldn't make it out to Singing For Democracy, you can still make an impact on this issue from home!

Call 1-800-372-7181 to leave a message for your legislators.  The Legislative Message Line is open 8am to 4:30pm Monday – Friday. 

Leave a message for Senator Damon Thayer.  At the same time, you can also leave a message for Senators David Williams and Robert Stivers, plus your own Senator and Representative.

A simple message like "I support voting rights for former felons" works.