Lakers Star Lebron James Pledges to Help Pay Florida Felons' Fees to Allow them to Vote

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has teamed up with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to help pay fines faced by former felons who were eligible to vote after a new law was passed in Florida earlier this year. But a new measure approved by Florida’s Republican-dominated legislature requires them to pay fees and fines they owe due to their convictions in order to be allowed to vote.

James and the activist organization will now send text messages to Florida residents to help them find anyone who is struggling to pay off the outstanding fees and fines to help them become eligible to vote. In 2018, Florida passed a law that gave felons the right to vote, only if all fees, fines and restitution costs were paid in full.

Billionaire and former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg recently raised more than $16 million to also help convicted felons in Florida become eligible to vote.

The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition has reported that Bloomberg’s effort has so far paid off fees for 32,000 felons.