McDonnell in hot water over nonviolent felons' rights

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By Anita Kumar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 11, 2010

For the second time in a week, Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has angered black leaders and civil rights groups, this time when they learned of his plans to add another step for nonviolent felons to have their voting rights restored.

McDonnell (R) will require the offenders to submit an essay outlining their contributions to society since their release, turning a nearly automatic process into a subjective one that some say may prevent poor, less-educated or minority residents from being allowed to vote.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/10/AR2010041001268.html?sid=ST2010041001459

[thecrow]

1. I bet he will grade on grammar and punctuation, too

I am not a happy Virginian right now.

[Derechos]

2. UPDATED: Opposition builds to McDonnell's changes to felon voting rights restoration process

The ACLU of Virginia accused Gov. Bob McDonnell of reinstating a "literacy test" in Virginia when he decided to add another step for nonviolent felons to have their voting rights restored.

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Update, 12:35: The Democratic Party of Virginia called on McDonnell to remove the requirement.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/04/opposition_builds_to_mcdonnell.html?hpid=dynamiclead

[Derechos]

3. ACLU VA: Urge Gov. McDonnell Not to Add Hurdles to Voting Rights Restoration!

Virginia is one of only two states –Kentucky is the other – that permanently disfranchises people with a felony conviction, requiring an act of the governor to restore their voting rights. This policy currently leaves 300,000 Virginians without the right to vote. Originally created as a way to keep African Americans from voting, this vestige of the Jim Crow era continues to disproportionately impact African Americans—200,000 African Americans in the state cannot vote.

Because only the governor has the power to restore an ex-felon's voting rights, the process can vary between administrations. After taking office Governor McDonnell added another hurdle, something akin to a literacy test, to an already difficult process. In addition to a one-page form, applicants must now write a personal letter to the governor explaining the circumstances of their crime, efforts they have made to rehabilitate themselves (including education, community work, and church attendance), and the reasons why they believe restoration of their voting rights is justified.

Please contact Gov. McDonnell and tell him to rescind the requirement for a personal letter that he has begun imposing on nonviolent offenders who have already submitted applications to have their voting rights restored. Also, please urge him not to make this requirement permanent.

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5562/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2652