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After an hourlong debate over the definition of ?incarceration,? the parables of Jesus, and whether a person?s time in prison is enough to pay their ?debt to society,? Louisiana is poised to restore voting rights to potentially thousands of formerly incarcerated people convicted of felony crimes.

The state House already had approved the measure last week. But when the bill returned to the House from the Senate to approve a set of amendments, the bill faced nearly an hour of pushback and debate from conservative lawmakers, threatening to kill the bill despite backing it a week before.

On May 10, the bill passed the House ? on its third try ? by a vote of 59-42; it later passed the Senate by a vote of 24-13.

The House approved the amended bill May 17 by a vote of 54-42 and it now heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards, who?s expected to sign it.
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