Senate debate on voter-qualification amendment includes failed proposal to restore some felons' voting rights
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Summary
Senators debated floor amendments to SJR2 on voter qualifications, including an amendment to restore rights for nonviolent felony convictions and to require victims be made whole; the amendment block failed on a recorded vote, 19-20.
Richmond — On Jan. 15 the Virginia Senate took up SJR2, a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment related to voter qualifications and the right to vote.
Sen. Ryan McDougall (Hanover) presented a block of four floor amendments aimed at carving out a path to restore voting rights for people convicted of nonviolent felonies while protecting victims' restitution interests. "If it's a nonviolent felony, then their rights should be restored," McDougall said, and described a companion amendment requiring victims be made whole before rights restoration.
Supporters framed the changes as bipartisan; "we can all agree" McDougall said, arguing the proposals represented a balanced approach emphasizing restitution and victim protections. Opponents warned that accepting the amendments would be procedurally disruptive and could be used to delay or derail the underlying constitutional amendment; several senators described the package as a potential tactic to alter the required identical-language rule across sessions.
The McDougall package was put to a recorded vote and failed, with the clerk announcing 19 ayes and 20 noes. Following that vote, sponsors moved to engross SJR2 and advance it to its third reading as permitted by rules.
Why it matters: SJR2 would change constitutional language on voter qualifications; proposed floor amendments targeting restoration of rights for nonviolent offenses would affect re-enfranchisement policy for people with criminal convictions. The failed amendment highlights continuing disagreement in the Senate on how to balance reintegration and victims' restitution requirements.
Next steps: The resolution's sponsors signaled plans to advance the resolution to its third reading. Further floor action and committee work are expected later in the session.
