Suffrage; restore to Andre Nichols of Hinds County.
Summary
House Bill 4006 is a private suffrage restoration bill that would restore Andre Nichols’s voting rights in Mississippi. The bill identifies Nichols by name and county and recites the criminal history that originally disqualified him as an elector, including convictions for receiving stolen property, possession of controlled substance with intent, and an out-of-state conviction for possession of firearm by a convicted felon. It also states that he has since behaved as a law-abiding and honorable citizen.
If enacted, the bill would immediately restore Nichols’s right of suffrage upon passage. The measure does not create a general change in election law or criminal law; instead, it operates as a person-specific exception to Mississippi’s constitutional and statutory disenfranchisement rules for individuals convicted of certain felonies. Its legal effect is limited to Nichols, but it would remove his voting disability and allow him to register and vote again, assuming he otherwise meets eligibility requirements.
Impact
HB4006 would amend the legal status of one individual by restoring his suffrage rights despite prior felony convictions and probation revocations. It does not broadly revise Mississippi’s disenfranchisement framework, but it functions as a legislative restoration of voting rights for a named person, overriding the default loss of suffrage tied to the listed convictions. The practical impact is on Andre Nichols, election officials, and voter registration systems that would need to recognize his restored eligibility after the act takes effect.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill is routine and favorable in tone, with no recorded committee debate or vote opposition in the materials provided. The bill’s language itself is supportive, emphasizing that Nichols has conducted himself in a lawful and honorable manner since his release. Because there are no transcripts or vote records, there is no evidence here of significant controversy or divided sentiment around the measure.
Contention
The main point of potential contention in suffrage restoration bills is whether a person with multiple convictions, including a firearm-related offense, should have voting rights restored by special legislation. In this bill, that concern would center on Nichols’s criminal history and the fact that one conviction occurred in an out-of-state court. However, the bill text presents the restoration as justified by his subsequent conduct, and the provided record contains no expressed objections from legislators, committees, or the public.