Steve Burns
WMAL.com
RICHMOND, Va – (WMAL) One month to the day after his original Executive Order was ruled unconstitutional by Virginia’s Supreme Court, Governor Terry McAuliffe is announcing a new method to restoring the voting rights of convicted felons who have completed their sentences and probation: approval on an individual, case-by-case basis.
“The Virginia Constitution is clear: I have the authority to restore civil rights without limitation,” McAuliffe said at a Monday press conference in front of the State Capitol. “Let me put this in plain English. We will proceed.”
McAuliffe laid out his plan to examine each case individually, and run names and records by various state agencies that would sort through a felon’s history, crimes, and punishment before rights are restored.
“We have established a logical approach moving forward that is consistent with the court’s decision, and keeping with the practices of past Virginia Governors for the restoration of rights,” he said.
McAuliffe said 13,000 felons will have their rights restored immediately, and more from McAuliffe’s original order of 206,000 will be reviewed on a rolling basis. He said personalized restoration orders with a registration application included will be sent to each felon who has his or her rights restored. He also addressed Republicans who claimed the action was only an effort to add more Democrats to the voter rolls ahead of Election Day.
“Extending voting rights to individuals who are living, working, and paying taxes in our communities is not a partisan act,” McAuliffe said. “To the Republicans and Democrats alike, go earn these Virginians’ votes.”
Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment, who led the original lawsuit challenging McAuliffe’s wide-ranging Executive Order, said in a statement he is “pleased” McAuliffe is complying with the court decision, but called the Governor “petulant and imprudent” for “lashing out” at the court and General Assembly following the court’s decision.
“Had the Governor followed the Constitution of Virginia on April 22 when he initially attempted this, those affected by today’s announcement might not have endured the roller-coaster of bureaucratic incompetence his executive overreach exposed,” Norment’s statement read. “His pronouncements questioning the integrity of the Court and falsely assigning blame to General Assembly leaders have been disgraceful.”
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(Photo: CNN)
