Voting Rights Restoration
FCWPP Alert – Ask your legislators to support Voting Rights Restoration
HB 1517, which would have restored voting rights to ex-felons who have completed all supervision under the Department of Corrections, has been replaced by a substitute that calls only for a study by the Secretary of State. Please contact your legislators by email or phone and ask them to work with Speaker Chopp to bring the original language of HB 1517 to a vote in the House — something that could happen early next week. This is particularly important if one of your legislators is on the House Rules Committee, which now has jurisdiction over the bill (see listing and contact information below).
As indicated in the last Alert, we do not need another study by the Secretary of State; the Secretary of State has already expressed his support for the original language of the bill. The original language of HB 1517 is identical with that of SB 5534, which has passed the Senate Governmental Operations and Elections Committee and is now in the Senate Rules Committee.
Most states including Oregon and California permit voting by ex-felons. The current requirement that all Legal Financial Obligations must be paid before voting registration is discriminatory against persons with less resources. Voting rights are significant in restoring ex- felons to feeling that they have a stake in society — an important step in becoming productive citizens and not returning to prison.
Thanks for all your help!
Best, Sam
Sam Merrill, Clerk Legislative Committee
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House Rules Committee (for email, click on name or use; for example, ):
Chopp, Frank (D) Chair
LEG 339C
(360) 786-7920
DeBolt, Richard (R) *
LEG 335C
(360) 786-7896
Armstrong, Mike (R)
LEG 426A
(360) 786-7832
Bailey, Barbara (R)
JLOB 406
(360) 786-7914
Eddy, Deborah (D)
LEG 132D
(360) 786-7848
Ericks, Mark (D)
JLOB 203
(360) 786-7900
Green, Tami (D)
JLOB 327
(360) 786-7958Hasegawa, Bob (D) JLOB 425 (360) 786-7862
Hinkle, Bill (R) JLOB 401 (360) 786-7808
Hudgins, Zachary (D) LEG 438A (360) 786-7956
Johnson, Norm (R) JLOB 414 (360) 786-7810
Kelley, Troy (D) JLOB 319 (360) 786-7890
Kessler, Lynn (D) LEG 339A (360) 786-7904
Kretz, Joel (R) LEG 335A (360) 786-7988
Kristiansen, Dan (R) LEG 427A (360) 786-7967
Liias, Marko (D) JLOB 434 (360) 786-7972
Moeller, Jim (D) LEG 436A (360) 786-7872
Morrell, Dawn (D) JLOB 331 (360) 786-7968
Morris, Jeff (D) LEG 430 (360) 786-7970
Santos, Sharon Tomiko (D) LEG 434A (360) 786-7944
Schmick, Joe (R) JLOB 419 (360) 786-7844
Springer, Larry (D) LEG 132E (360) 786-7822
Van De Wege, Kevin (D) JLOB 316 (360) 786-7916
Warnick, Judy (R) JLOB 403 (360) 786-7932
You can leave a message for all three of your legislators by calling the hotline at: 1-800-562- 6000 (open Sat. 9-1 and M-F 8-8). General contact information is available at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx.