Restoration of voting rights for convicted felons has been a contentious issue in Virginia since Gov. Gillespie also said he supports “limited, tightly regulated” use of marijuana for treatment of some medical conditions. Northam has said he wants to end the practice of seizing a driver’s license for failure to pay such costs. Northam has made restoring felon voting rights a centerpiece of his campaign, and said he would continue McAuliffe’s aggressive approach. Gillespie’s reform plan aligns with Northam’s proposals in other ways: Both favor raising the state’s standard for what constitutes felony larceny.
RICHMOND, Va. – Republican gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie on Wednesday called for criminal justice reform that goes beyond what the GOP-controlled state legislature has so far been willing to embrace, including raising the state’s felony threshold to $500 from $200 and softening marijuana enforcement.
Speaking at a black-owned barbershop and surrounded by a number of local pastors and social workers who deal with people returning to the community from prison, Gillespie said he wants a system that is “just, fair and redeeming. I believe in redemption.”
Gillespie also cast his proposals in economic terms, pointing out that the state...
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