Just quick post to highlight two new items today which demonstrate as clearly as can be why Virginia House Republicans are a disgrace to our state. More to the point, they point out the urgent need to vote these cretins out of office at the first possible opportunity (e.g., this coming November).
1. Virginia House panel rejects Governor McDonnell’s felons’ rights bill: This is supported by Democrats, of course, but also by Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, and even Ken Kookinelli. In other words, this should be a totally non-partisan issue – once you’ve “done your time” and “paid your debt to society,” your voting rights should be automatically restored, as in almost every state in America. The fact that Virginia House Republicans care so little about basic, fundamental civil liberties – and also civil rights, as the disenfranchisement is a relic of the Jim Crow era that disproportionately impacts African Americans – really says it all about today’s Republican Party. As Ben Tribbett wrote on his Facebook page:
I guess it is appropriate that on the 50th anniversary of George Wallace standing at the Alabama State Capitol to give his “segregation now segregation tomorrow segregation forever” speech, that Jackson Hunter Miller and Tim Hugo convened a committee in the House of Delegates to kill every bill regarding restoration of civil rights. Still a lot of work to do folks- and it won’t all be talking nicely to legislators- some of them need to be defeated.
Well said…so true! Also see DPVA chair Charniele Herring’s statement, Sen. Mark Warner’s statement, Gov. Bob McDonnell’s statement, and Sen. Mark Herring’s statement.
2. Equality Virginia reports that Del. Scott Surovell’s bill, HJ665, to repeal the 2006 marriage amendment, was “killed in committee today.” That’s yet another black eye for Virginia, contradicting our advertising slogan about being “for lovers.” Well, sorry, but Virginia House Republicans are most definitely NOT for their non-preferred types of “lovers,” nor are they for fundamental human rights and American values like liberty, equal treatment under the law, and the right to pursue happiness. As Del. Rob Krupicka says on his Facebook page, “This is an economic issue. A freedom issue. A human rights issue.” Exactly, and we need to remove this stain on our constitution as soon as possible, by first and foremost booting out these homophobic bigots (Republicans, of course) from the Virginia House of Delegates!
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
