RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s office says 80 percent of more than 200,000 convicted felons whose voting and other civil rights he recently restored were convicted of nonviolent crimes.
The governor’s office said Wednesday that an analysis of the 200,000 convicted felons also shows that African-Americans accounted for 46 percent, while blacks make up only 19 percent of the state’s population.
McAuliffe issued a sweeping order last month restoring the rights of felons who have completed their prison and parole sentences to vote, sit on juries and run for office.
GOP House Speaker William J. Howell said Wednesday that the governor’s own analysis shows that 40,000 felons convicted of violent crimes will now be eligible to sit on juries, something Republicans oppose.
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