Today, the McDonnell administration rolled out changes to the voting rights restoration process. Most notably, the new rules impose a 60-day turnaround for processing applications and reduce the waiting period for non-violent offenders to submit their requests. The new changes could be a meaningful step forward for ex-offenders seeking to regain their civil rights and becoming productive members of society.
The right to vote forms the core of American democracy. In Virginia, individuals with felony convictions are barred from voting, even after completing their sentence. The process to regain this fundamental right is so outdated and logistically cumbersome that felony disenfranchisement is a de facto permanent condition. What’s more, felony disenfranchisement has at its root Jim Crow era laws adopted in the 1902 Virginia Constitutional Convention aimed at preventing African-Americans from voting and circumventing the XVth amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“This plan will eliminate the darkey as a political factor in this state in less than 5 years, so that in no single county will there be the least concern felt for the complete supremacy of the white race in the affairs of government.” Carter Glass, Delegate to the 1902 Virginia Constitutional Convention
In Virginia, all people with felony convictions are barred from voting, even after completing their sentences, including any incarceration. Only the Governor has authority to restore their access to the ballot box. This is exactly what Carter Glass and others like him wanted to happen in order to keep people of color from voting.
The barriers we have put in place to keep people from voting have at their roots racism.
In a turn that should certainly catch the attention of anti-taxers, but likely won’t, the Virgina Citizens Defense League (the “every day should be the wild west” guys) are saying that general fund dollars should be used for background checks.
“…VCDL views gun owners having to pay $2 for a background check for purchasing a gun to be exactly like a “poll tax.” Such a fee should be paid out of general funding and in sufficient amounts to backup the statements by the government that instant check would be just that – instant, not 4 hours or days.”
As usual, Philip Van Cleave is shooting off emails describing how entitled he and the rest of Virginia’s gun slingers are. For the state to cover the cost of background checks, which is foolishness, that would mean it would have to raise taxes or cut even more spending from social services, cops and schools.
I am not sure why VCDL feels like an already stretched general fund should be diverted to cover gun purchases but I do know that budget bill will die. It may have to die in the Senate since the House of Delegates is so fearful of the gun guys, but it will happen.
If we are going to raise new revenue in Virginia, shouldn’t it be an investment for the betterment of everyone rather than just to squelch the complaining of the few?
Folks in the Northern Shenandoah Vally are welcome to attend the Shenandoah University Davis Lectures at no cost on Sunday and Monday. I will be speaking about responses to anti-semitism and racism, budgets and moral documents, and the restoration of felons rights in the context of faithful citizenship.
I am sure that questions from the audience will include an opportunity to celebrate what I hope will be the passage of the health insurance reform bill in Congress. It should be a great time to be back in Winchester, VA and see so many friends from my old pastorate Ebenezer Christian Church.
The Senate Courts of Justice Committee will hear three death penalty bills on Monday February 15: SB7, SB54, SB520. Each of these bills would expand the kind of crimes for which prosecutors can seek the death penalty. The Virginia Interfaith Center opposes any expansion of the death penalty on both theological and economic grounds.
