Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II is set to announce the findings of a committee he tasked with exploring how to make it easier for nonviolent felons to regain their voting rights, an issue Cuccinelli fought against as a state senator but has since come to support. In March, Cuccinelli, the GOP gubernatorial nominee, created an advisory committee on rights restoration after legislation to pass a constitutional amendment to automatically restore felon voting rights failed in the General Assembly, despite having the support of the attorney general and Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R). The committee is slated to release its findings Tuesday on what can and cannot be done to make the process easier.
“There should be a way for willing individuals who want to regain their place in society to be forgiven, be given a second chance, and to pursue a path to regain their civil rights,” Cuccinelli said in announcing the committee. “We must be tough on crime, but part of a successful criminal justice system includes redemption and reentry into society. In my view, that benefits society as a whole by potentially reducing recidivism.”
Attempts to amend the Virginia Constitution on the subject of rights restoration have proved unsuccessful for more than 30 years. Of the 13 bills on felon rights restoration proposed this year, only one made it out of committee. That bill passed the Senate by a 30 to 10 vote but languished in a House committee.
Full Article: Cuccinelli set to announce findings on restoring voting rights of Va. felons – The Washington Post.
The Voting News
A News Service of the Verified Voting Foundation
