The issue is simple, really. It's a matter of fairness.



If you commit a felony, you do your time and you pay your debt to society, you should have a chance to get back on your feet without obstacles thrown at you.



The battle for ex-felons' rights in Florida is about fairness.



There is still a long way to go, but former felons are one step closer to having their rights restored in Florida.



We can only hope the bid to have rights restored is successful. Most other states have seen fit to restore felons' rights. It's time Florida catches up.



Earlier this month, the Florida Supreme Court heard arguments on a proposed constitutional amendment that would automatically restore voting rights for all nonviolent felons who have served their sentences, completed parole or probation, and paid restitution.



Restoring ex-felons rights should have been done a long time ago in Florida, especially considering we are one of only three states — along with Iowa and Kentucky — that permanently rescinds the right to vote from citizens with felony convictions.



It is such an onerous procedure to get civil rights restored in Florida — felons convicted of nonviolent crimes have to wait a minimum of five years before even applying for restoration; the average wait time can be up to 14 years — that most felons don't even apply.



If the Supreme Court rules the amendment language meets the single-subject rule, there is still a long way to go in the fight for fairness. But at least the fight is starting. There has also been a class action lawsuit filed against Gov. Rick Scott, by the Fair Elections Legal Network, claiming Florida's method of granting clemency to ex-felons is unconstitutonal. The suit seeks to have voting rights restored to seven plaintiffs immediately.



The proposed constitutional amendment, from Floridians for a Fair Democracy, would still need 766,000 petition signatures to get on the 2018 ballot. And if the amendment passes, Sen. Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, has filed an implementing bill that would restore all civil rights to ex-felons, except the right to own a handgun, which could be debated later. The possible restoration of the right to own a weapon has left the bill in limbo for the moment.



Restoration of voting rights could have a profound effect on Florida elections. About 1.7 million ex-felons living in Florida, which has over nine million registered voters. The Republican-dominated Legislature has fought rights restoration believing a large number of former felons would register as Democrats.



But voters, hopefully, will get their say on the matter next year. Desmond Meade, chairman of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, told us the Supreme Court didn't seem to have any problems with the wording of the amendment.



Meade knows first-hand how important this effort is to so many people. A former drug addict, he got his law degree from Florida International University in 2014, but can't get a license to practice until his civil rights are restored. "To be shut out of the process is like a perpetual punishment and a slap in the face, saying you're never going to be a citizen," he says.



The whole process of restoring rights was a lot more reasonable under former Gov. Charlie Crist, who with the Florida Cabinet in 2007, agreed to automatically restore civil rights for non-violent felons who had served their time. During Crist's four years as governor, 155,000 ex-felons had their rights restored.



The number has dwindled dramatically since Rick Scott became governor and the Cabinet decided to make people wait at least five years, if not more. According to the Wall Street Journal, since Scott's election in 2010, only 2,487 people with felony convictions have had voting rights restored. The backlog of applications is in the thousands.



If Florida eases the restrictions, it would follow a national trend. Since 1997, 23 states have made it easier for ex-felons to vote again, according to the Sentencing Project, which advocates overhauling criminal justice laws.



Again, it's a matter for fairness. Once non-violent ex-felons have paid their debt to society, they should be allowed to rejoin society. That includes having their voices heard at election time.



Hopefully, change is on the way.