Suit Set Over Ex-felons Regaining Voting Rights In Virginia

Suit Set Over Ex-felons Regaining Voting Rights In Virginia
BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER | THE PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE

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[dropcap]RICHMOND[/dropcap], Va. — Republican lawmakers in Virginia will file a lawsuit challenging Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s decision to allow more than 200,000 former convicted felons to vote in November, GOP leaders said Monday.

[two_third padding=”0 30px 0 0″]Republicans argue the governor has overstepped his constitutional authority with a clear political ploy designed to help the campaign of his friend and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the important swing state this fall.

“Gov. McAuliffe’s flagrant disregard for the Constitution of Virginia and the rule of law must not go unchecked,” Senate Republican Leader Thomas Norment said in a statement. He added that McAuliffe’s predecessors and previous attorneys general examined the issue and concluded the governor could not issue blanket restorations.

Republicans have hired Charles J. Cooper, a Washington, D.C., attorney known for defending California’s ban on gay marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. GOP leaders did not say when they would file the lawsuit, which would not involve using taxpayer dollars.

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RESTORATION OF RIGHTS

Governor McAuliffe’s April 22 order restores the rights to all individuals who, as of April 22, 2016, have completed the terms of incarceration and have completed any period of supervised release (probation or parole) for any and all felony convictions.

Going forward, the Governor will issue monthly orders restoring rights to persons who have completed the terms of their incarceration and any periods of supervised release since April 22, 2016. Virginia.gov[/one_third_last]