Republican Governor of Virginia Pushes to Restore Voting Rights

There was an interesting Associated Press piece earlier this month about Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's push to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society. 

Virginia, like Kentucky, is one of four states that takes the right to vote away from all former felons for the rest of their lives even after they've served their debt to society.  

The Associated Press
By Bob Lewis
RICHMOND

... Gov. Bob McDonnell is on pace to restore the civil rights of more people who've done their time than any governor in modern Virginia history.

At 27 months into the single, non-renewable four-year term Virginia allows him, McDonnell has restored rights for 2,888 felons. Democrat Tim Kaine restored 4,402 felons' rights in four years, more than 1,500 of them in his final year in office.

"I believe in second chances. I believe when you've paid your debt to society, our goal should be to generate productive citizens who don't come back to prison," McDonnell said in an Associated Press interview Friday. "We've all made mistakes in our lives."

His motive, in part, derives from his days as an attorney in private practice in Virginia Beach.

"Before I became attorney general, I represented a couple of people trying to get their rights back and it was the most agonizing process," McDonnell said.

"We'd never get answers. It would be a year, year and a half, and then the answer would usually be no, and that was under Democratic and Republican governors. I thought this system is not working well. It's just too slow and too cumbersome," the 57-year-old governor said.

To read the full A.P. Story, click Here

In other news, Kentucky has an important Primary Election on Tuesday of next more.  If you have the right to vote, please use it.  Visit www.KentuckyElection.org to learn more about candidate stances on issues like voting rights.