In brief
Tennessee's new law marks a significant shift in voting rights restoration for people with felony convictions. It eliminates the requirement to have paid all court costs and allows a one-year compliance window for child support payments, viewed by advocates as a major advancement after years of advocacy. While the bill has garnered support from many, it has also revealed divisions among state Republicans regarding its provisions and implications for future voting rights restoration efforts.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A new Tennessee law has eased up on two longstanding financial hurdles for people with felony sentences who want their voting rights back, including a unique requirement among states that they must have fully paid their child support costs.
The Republican-supermajority Legislature approved the Democratic-sponsored change, which now lets people prove they have complied for the last year with child support orders, such as payment plans. The legislation also unties the payment of all court costs from voting rights restoration.
Advocates for years have sought various changes to Tennessee’s voting rights restoration system at the statehouse and in court. They say loosening these two rules marks the biggest rollback of restrictions to voting rights restoration in decades.
“This is huge and this is history,” said Keeda Haynes, senior attorney for the advocacy group Free Hearts led by formerly incarcerated women like her.
Most Republicans voted for it and Democrats supported it unanimously. The law took effect immediately upon Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s signature last week.
“I think people are at a point where they want to just remove the barriers out of the way and allow people to be fully functional members of society,” said Democratic House Minority Leader Karen Camper, a bill sponsor.
Easing Up After Years
In 2023, the state decided gun rights were required to restore the right to vote, and shelved a paperwork process that didn’t require going to court. Election officials said a court ruling made the changes necessary, though voting rights advocates said officials misinterpreted the order.
Last year, lawmakers untangled voting and gun rights. But voting rights advocates opposed some of the bill’s other provisions, such as keeping the process in the courts, where costs can rack up if someone isn’t ruled indigent.
A Republican Split
The easing of financial requirements exposed a split among legislative Republicans. Senate Speaker Randy McNally voted against the bill, while House Speaker Cameron Sexton supported it, arguing that individuals still have a responsibility to meet their child support obligations.
The law has garnered a mix of support and skepticism from various political factions. Notable advocates, such as Gicola Lane from the Campaign Legal Center’s Restore Your Vote initiative, highlighted that many would still struggle with outstanding financial debts related to their pre-conviction obligations.
This significant legislative change comes after two decades of amendments that tied voting rights directly to fulfilling child support obligations, which critics have long argued were punitive and disproportionately impacted the impoverished.
Future of Voting Rights Restoration
As changes continue to unfold across the country regarding voting rights, Tennessee stands at a crossroads, debating what direction to take next while reducing barriers for those seeking to reclaim their political voice.
