Privileges and Elections Committee (House)

Privileges and Elections Committee 2

Summary

Meets on: Friday at 9:30 a.m. in House Room 3

MembersMarcus Simon (Chair)    Dawn Adams  –  Les Adams  –  Alex Askew  –  Rob Bloxom   –  Mark Cole   –  Kelly Fowler    Christopher Head   –  Paul Krizek  –  Mark Levine   –  John McGuire  –  Israel O’Quinn  –  Bobby Orrock  –  Cia Price  –  Sam Rasoul  –  David Reid  –  Chris Runion  –  Nick Rush  –  Mark Sickles  –  Marcus Simon  –  Shelly Simonds  –  Schuyler VanValkenburg

(13 Democrats and 9 Republicans)

Subcommittees:

  • Campaign Finance
  • Constitutional Amendments
  • Elections, Gubernatorial
  • Appointments
  • Redistricting

OnAir Post: Privileges and Elections Committee (House)

News

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Note: Details on bills passed below are in the Heading “Bills passed”

  • HB 1749 Nassawadox, Town of; amending charter, updates to reflect town’s shift of municipal elections. r.
  • HB 1810 Voter registration; failure of online voter registration system, deadline extension. 
  • HB 1838 Loudoun County school board; staggered terms of its members. 
  • HB 1858 Appomattox, Town of; amending charter, shifts local elections from May to November, etc. 
  • HB 1888 Absentee voting; procedural and process reforms, availability and accessibility reforms, penalty. 
  • HB 1890 Discrimination; prohibited in voting and elections administration, etc. 
  • HB 1921 Assistance for certain voters; curbside voting. 
  • HB 1968 Absentee voting; availability on Sundays in office of general registrar or voter satellite office.
  • HB 2020 Nomination of candidates for elected offices; restrictions on nomination method selected. 
  • HB 2081 Polling places; prohibited activities, unlawful possession of a firearm, penalty.
  • HB 2125 Voter registration; preregistration for persons 16 years of age or older, effective date. 
  • HB 2198 Local elections for governing bodies; elections for school boards, qualification of voters. 
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Privileges and Elections Committee 2021 hearings
Virginia House of Delegates Video Streaming

Standing Committee: 1/13  1/20  1/27  2/3   2/8  2/10  2/17

Subcommittees:

Campaign Finance: 1/21

Constitutional Amendments: 1/25  2/1

Elections: 1/19  1/26  2/16

Gubernatorial Appointments: 1/18 

Voting Rights: 1/20  1/22  1/29

 

Va. House panel expands felon rights proposal to allow voting after release
Virginia Mercury, Graham MoomawJanuary 25, 2021

A Virginia House of Delegates panel on Monday expanded a felon voting rights proposal to allow former inmates to vote when they’re released from incarceration, a change potentially allowing their rights to be restored years earlier than envisioned under the plan’s prior rules.

As originally drafted, the proposed constitutional amendment would have automatically restored felons’ civil rights after they had completed their sentence and any period of supervised probation.

But some Democratic lawmakers said they preferred a simpler solution, one that wouldn’t complicate the rights restoration process by tying it to a probation period or an ex-offender’s ability to pay fines and fees after their release.

“To me, completion of sentence of imprisonment is a very clear, bright-line standard,” said Del. Mark Levine, D-Alexandria, the chairman of the House’s subcommittee on constitutional amendments.

During a subcommittee hearing Monday, a representative of Gov. Ralph Northam told House members the administration would support that approach. The panel amended the proposal accordingly.

The proposal has not yet been voted on by the full House, and a similar measure in the Senate has not yet been taken up in committee. But Monday’s hearing offered a glimpse of how key policy decisions on felon voting might play out over the rest of the General Assembly session.

Some Democrats and voting advocacy groups are pushing to end felon disenfranchisement altogether, arguing the right to vote is so fundamental that people convicted of crimes should be allowed to continue to cast ballots from their cells.

“It’s time for you to be bold and move this conversation from restoring votes to giving people the right to vote,” ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Claire Guthrie Gastañaga told the subcommittee Monday.

Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, the chairman of the House Privileges and Elections Committee, said he supports that concept generally. But because the amendment needs final approval from voters in a ballot referendum that could happen in 2022, he said, making the conversation about voting from jail could jeopardize the larger reform effort.

“I would hate to risk this progress, which I think is really important,” Simon said.

Whatever form the proposal ends up taking, the General Assembly would have to approve the exact same version next year before it could be sent to the voters.

Many Republicans have been supportive of relaxing Virginia’s policy, which prevents all felons from voting unless a governor has taken action to restore their rights. But some have also cautioned against blanket restoration, insisting the nature of the offense committed and whether debts have been paid should factor into the process.

Del. Chris Head, R-Roanoke, said leaving some limitations in place would prevent a major erosion of conservative support.

“As a Christian, personally, my faith is all about grace,” Head said. “That means that there is a point where you have to have a road back.”

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