AN ACT TO RESTORE THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE TO TAMERAL JOHNSON OF DESOTO COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI.
Summary
House Bill 4127 is a private suffrage bill that restores the right to vote to Tameral Johnson of DeSoto County, Mississippi. The bill states that Johnson lost her voting rights because of a prior embezzlement conviction in DeSoto County, for which she was sentenced in 2012 to an intensive supervision program and probation. It further notes that she completed supervision, was discharged in 2020, and has since conducted herself as a law-abiding and honorable citizen.
The measure is narrowly tailored to one individual and does not create a general change to Mississippi’s election or criminal laws. If enacted, it would immediately restore Johnson’s status as an elector and allow her to exercise the right of suffrage again. The bill takes effect upon passage.
Impact
HB4127 would amend the legal status of a single person by restoring voting rights lost due to a felony conviction, rather than changing the broader statutory framework governing disenfranchisement or rights restoration. Its practical effect is limited to Tameral Johnson, but it operates within Mississippi’s constitutional and statutory suffrage-restoration process for people convicted of disqualifying offenses.
Sentiment
The bill appears favorable and noncontroversial based on the available context. It passed the House, and there are no recorded committee transcripts, votes against it, or other indications of opposition in the provided materials. The bill’s language also frames the recipient positively, emphasizing rehabilitation and lawful conduct after completion of supervision.
Contention
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided record. In general, private suffrage bills can raise questions about whether voting rights should be restored individually by the Legislature versus through a broader automatic process, but no such debate is documented here. The measure is focused solely on Johnson’s eligibility and does not indicate disagreement over the underlying conviction or her post-conviction conduct.