Voting rights restored again for 13K felons

RICHMOND >> A defiant Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced Monday that he again restored the voting rights of about 13,000 felons who served their time after his previous attempt was thwarted by Republican lawmakers and the state Supreme Court. Virginia’s highest court ruled in July that governors cannot restore rights en masse, but must consider each offender on a case-by-case basis. That ruling invalidated a sweeping executive order issued by McAuliffe in April that had given back the voting rights of more than 200,000 felons who completed their sentences. McAuliffe blasted the court Monday for ignoring the “the clear text of the Constitution” and accused Republicans of trying to suppress voters’ voices. But he pledged to move forward, saying he won’t let the felon disenfranchisement “destroy lives and families, and destabilize communities.”