One woman's journey from serving jail time to winning back the right to vote
MINNEAPOLIS -- 50,000 Minnesotans will have one more reason to celebrate this July 4th. For the first time in years, they will once again have the freedom to vote.
Jennifer Schroeder was 30 and a brand new mother when she was sentenced to 365 days in jail and 40 years of probation for having 23 grams of meth on her. That was back in 2014.
In the aftermath of that long year, she would end up losing her daughter to Child Protective Services, a loss that haunts her and changed her life.
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"What it did, all it did, was light a fire under me when they took her from me," Schroeder said. "I mean I'd never once thought about going back to using. I never once thought about using again."
Her 40-year probation meant she couldn't vote until she was 71, something she knew she would miss.
"It's a fundamental right. It's what holds the country together," she said. "If your rights are restored enough to pay taxes, then they should be restored enough to vote."
So began her crusade. Every time she shared her story, it got more attention from lawmakers and even top state officials. Schroeder went back to school at Minneapolis Community and Technical College and became an addiction counselor.
She had a baby boy, who she named Chance, because she was given a second chance.
Schroeder was at the legislature when the bill restoring the vote was passed, and she was there when the government signed it. She knows her journey made a difference.
"Being very vulnerable in front of a lot of people has been hard, but it is very rewarding at the end that so many people are going to benefit from it."
Schroeder says she is speaking on in part to let others know about their second chance. The new law went into effect on June 1.