Bill promotes automatic right to vote for convicts
January 21, 2021
OLYMPIA — Convicted felons would automatically regain a right to vote under the proposed House Bill 1078.
Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, the convicted felon to serve in the Legislature, testified in favor of the measure Jan. 14.
“This is really about reentry; it’s not about the punishment,” she said. “The punishment has been taken into consideration during the prosecution.”
Simmons was sentenced to 20 months in prison for possessing and selling drugs and unlawful possession of a firearm.
A former nurse, she said she stole drugs and sold them to support her habit.
Once out of prison, she returned to school, earning a law degree from Seattle University. At first, the Washington State Bar Association barred her from practicing as an attorney, but she challenged that decision in the state Supreme Court and won.
Simmons’ push for voting rights has support from across the aisle.
Republican Rep. Jesse Young of Gig Harbor co-sponsored the bill and testified about his experience with people who needed a “second chance.”
“I see this specifically as, what do we do to make sure that people are focused positively about reengaging in life,” Young said.
Two Republican committee members, Reps. Jim Walsh of Aberdeen and Jenny Graham of Spokane wondered about negative impacts.
Walsh said the public risk impact of voter restoration for convicted felons was nondirect, but also “nonzero.”
Graham said victims of violent crimes and their families deserve restitution from people who committed crimes to cause deliberate harm.
Convicts automatically regain voting rights after they are released from state supervision, but people still under community custody — a system similar to parole — often lack adequate resources to know about their options in regaining voting rights, said Jaime Hawk, the legal strategy director at the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington chapter.
“We need a simple and clear rule that will be easy to administer, that everyone understands, and will facilitate the successful reintegration of thousands of community members around the state,” Hawk said.
State Attorney General’s Office Policy Director Sahar Fathi supports the bill, saying the policy would work for historically marginalized groups.
“Not addressing the felony disenfranchisement will continue to exacerbate the real systemic consequences that already exist for African-Americans and other communities of color by disproportionately limiting their right to vote,” Fathi said.
The bill is scheduled for an executive session Jan. 21.
Reader Comments(0)