The Virginian-Pilot
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Gov. Bob McDonnell lashed out Tuesday at critics of his yet-to-be-announced new rules for restoring citizenship rights to nonviolent felons, saying their attacks were "largely inaccurate."
"These are some political attacks by Democrats to undermine what I think will be the most efficient process a governor has ever used to restore rights," McDonnell said during a WNIS radio interview as he began a daylong series of speeches in Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
The governor said later that he anticipates restoring the rights of hundreds of non violent felons during his first year in office.
McDonnell has been criticized after published reports stated that his proposal will require all applicants wanting their rights restored to write an essay detailing their arrests and what they have done to rehabilitate themselves.
"There's no essay," McDonnell said. "We've asked for just a simple statement of what the person has done in order to be reintegrated into society, a little bit about the crime, what they've done to get back into society - any community activities."
McDonnell said he expects a n application will be ready in two or three weeks.
"We are streamlining the process so that we get all the information at once," he said. "It's going to be short, easy to do."
McDonnell restated his desire to set up a system that rules on every application for rights restoration in 90 days.
"No governor has ever done that," he said. "It's usually six months to a year or more. I represented clients trying to get rights back as a lawyer in Hampton Roads. I tell you it took forever. Democratic and Republican governors never thought it was important."
In Virginia, persons convicted of felonies automatically lose their rights to vote, hold public office, serve on a jury, act as a notary public or own a firearm.
The governor at his discretion can restore all those rights except for possessing a gun.
Critics including the American Civil Liberties Union and some Democratic legislators have said McDonnell's writing requirement raises concerns and comparisons to the literacy tests once used to keep blacks from voting.
McDonnell said he wants to be aggressive in restoring rights to nonviolent felons but couldn't predict if he would match the records of former Govs. Timothy M. Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats, who restored rights to thousands of felons - far surpassing the actions of previous governors.
About 650 requests were already filed when he was inaugurated in January and others have been submitted since then, McDonnell said.
Alec Gerlach, a spokesman for Kaine, now chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said the former governor disagrees with McDonnell's plan to require a written statement from non violent felons.
Gerlach said that when Kaine told a Richmond television station Monday that applicants often included a letter explaining their actions, he was referring only to violent offenders.
Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com
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Who dunit?
Mickey D says there is no "essay" requirement, just a brief note. The letter actually went out, requiring an essay, stating what was needed. Mickey D says that a staffer sent it out w/out his knowledge. Therefor, he is either lying, failing to monitor his staff's actions, or throwing one of his people to the wolves.
History Lesson
When the felony disenfranchisement laws were first passed in Virginia during the Constitutional Convention of 1902, they were part of a general package of laws meant to prevent black people from voting:
"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.” - Delegate and future Sen. Carter Glass
Virginia is one of only two states in the nation that still haven’t repealed this archaic law.
Happy Confederate History month!
How about Separation of Powers Governor?
The Governor is trying to impose a law that his office was designed to defend, separation of powers. He is making a legal issue a political issue. Does this guy think is a Governor or a King? What's next Gov?
Whoa! Where did that come from?
He's wanting to streamline a process that is under the cognizance of the Secretary of the Commonwealth which is currently taking six months or more to get an answer out to the person whom submitted the application.
His goal to make a decision within 90 days...vice six or more months.
Most of the information that is being submitted on the current application can be verified via various .gov websites.
This isn't something new.
Agree or disagree with restoring voting/jury duty/ability to hold public office, or other rights all you want. But how about adhering to facts and cease submitting generalizations, innuendo, etc.
Again. so why was there no
Again. so why was there no objection when Kaine, Warner, and Wilder enforced the same rule?
I will be waiting.
Geeze -
A statement request? What's so difficult about that? Questioning whether this was equivilent to an attempted segregation issue? Please - stop the continued comments that everyone and everything is done today to hurt an African American and/or is just racist. We have a Black president today that was elected by a majority of white people.
Reading & writing challenges? Then that is prima fascia evidence that the public educators today are worthless.
The complaints that I hear these days are all moral equivilent challenges that are way off base and/or political rhetoric that once cross referenced only support the contrary in another category - can't have someone write a statment because they may not be able, but our schools are OK in what they teach & just need more money. Never seen something so worthless to complain about. Funny how foreign immigrants becoming naturalized citizens can meet minimum standards but our own people can't work on something so very fundemental to get there citizenry back.
Convicted Felon
As a convicted felon it is hard enough to get a job in most states, even Mcdonalds wont hire you. We have been punished enough for what we have to endure in prison. I do not blame anyone other than myself for my actions and have done NUMEROUS things to prove my self worth to employers, friends and family. I am a non-violent felon and have probably met quite a few of you out there and you wouldnt know any different about me unless I told you. I have police officers as friends, FBI agents as friends business owners as friends and not one of them know anything about me or suspect that I had a past.
It has been hard in this economy to find a job and then add on the felony..... I was passed up on three jobs that I am highly qualified for and denied jobs because of my felony. I am not that person anymore so why do my family and I have to suffer because of a mistake in my past.
I applaud what he is doing and I hope that you simple minded people that judge and condemn people for their past and not for what they can do to change their lives will one day see that not all felons are bad people just made a bad choice in their lives.
It's really not that much to ask
Restoring a felon's right to vote should not be a gargantuan task, but neither should it be just a matter of serving time. Serving time is just a punishment, not redemption.
I would prefer some demonstration of rehabilitation, starting with a statement that the value of being a citizen is at least recognized.
So, writing a letter asking to be readmitted to citizenship isn't much to ask.
If it were up to me, I would expect them to pass the same citizenship test we expect foreign nationals wishing to become citizens to pass. If we can demand that much of law abiding immigrants, surely that is not too much to ask of a felon wishing to reenter citizenship.
Why only felons?
What has a non-violent felony have to do with knowledge required for citizenship or voting? Do they know less about our system then they did prior to committing a crime? Should all citizens be tested to qualify for their constitutional rights? Should all citizens have to demonstrate their worthiness or only those who've been caught in violation of the law? Since corporations are now legally people, should those that have committed what would be considered crimes if you or I committed them have the right to pour money into campaigns or issues (their version of voting)?
Baby steps
I would be tickled pink to see a requirement that prior to voting, people demonstrate a basic understanding of the Constitution and maybe even a little economics.
But one step at a time.
After all, if felons can demonstrate that a person desiring to vote can earn that right by passing a simple test we administer to immigrants seeking citizenship, then maybe even Democrats could pass the test too.
Of course it would require some work, since they clearly have no understanding of the Constitution now.