Amid heated debate that invoked Virginia’s racist past, the state Senate narrowly backed a proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday that would change how and whether felons get their voting rights back in the state.
“Right now it varies from governor to governor,” said Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment, the resolution’s sponsor. “There is no criteria by which it goes from administration to administration, and consequently, there is no consistent expectation on ‘what I must do as a convicted felon to have my rights restored,’ because there is nothing that is articulated as to what is required or expected of me, and I would suggest to you that that is almost a capricious situation.”
The amendment would retain Virginia’s rule that those convicted of felonies lose their voting rights, but would require governors to set up a process to automatically restore the rights of nonviolent felons when they have completed their sentences, including payment of all fines, fees or restitution and serving of any time on probation or parole.
However, it also would restrict what is now a broad power of the governor to restore voting rights for any felon. In addition to any other rules that could be prescribed by law, the governor would only be able to restore the rights of felons who apply at least five years after paying all fines and fees and completing any probation, parole or suspended sentence, and who had not had any new felony convictions or “misdemeanor convictions involving moral turpitude” in the intervening years.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Max Smith over at WTOP