For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024
Media Contact:
Lee Francis | Deputy Director
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
434-989-3197 | lfrancis@valcv.org
RICHMOND – Today, the House Committee on Privileges and Elections advanced HJ 2 from Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, a constitutional amendment to ensure automatic restoration of voting rights for those reentering society following a felony conviction. Virginia’s the only state that permanently disenfranchises these citizens due to a provision included in the 1902 Constitution, adopted at the height of Jim Crow segregation in Virginia, which included a number of other measures to suppress Black Virginians’ voting power, including poll taxes and literacy tests. The amendments will need to pass both chambers in 2025 and 2026 before the measure can then go before voters in that fall’s General Election.
In response to this announcement Michael Town, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:
“The right to vote is fundamental. Today, we are grateful that House lawmakers recognized the need to address a historic barrier to voting for far too many Virginians for far too long. The Youngkin Administration’s slow-walking of rights restorations on an arbitrary ‘case-by-case’ basis shows the clear need for this amendment, which will grow and strengthen our democracy and give more Virginians a voice at the polls. A strong democracy is absolutely vital for a healthy environment, and we look forward to getting this major reform across the finish line.”
About us:
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.
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