AN ACT TO RESTORE THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE TO RANDALL LEE MCCULLOCH OF WINSTON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI.
Summary
HB4148 is a private suffrage bill that restores the right to vote to Randall Lee McCulloch of Winston County, Mississippi. The bill specifically identifies his prior felony convictions, including burglary and embezzlement, notes the sentences he served, and states that he has since lived as a law-abiding and honorable citizen. If enacted, it would remove the voting disqualification tied to those convictions and return his status as an elector.
The measure is narrowly tailored to one individual rather than changing Mississippi’s general voting-rights laws. It operates as a direct legislative restoration of suffrage, taking effect immediately upon passage. Because the bill is individualized, its legal effect is limited to McCulloch and does not create a broader automatic restoration process for other people with felony convictions.
Impact
HB4148 would amend the legal status of one named person by restoring his suffrage rights under Mississippi law, overriding the voting disqualification that resulted from his felony convictions. It does not revise the state’s general constitutional or statutory rules governing disenfranchisement, but instead functions as a special act of relief for an individual. The practical impact is limited to McCulloch and to election officials who would recognize him as eligible to register and vote once the act takes effect.
Sentiment
The available record suggests a favorable or at least uncontroversial posture toward the bill, as it passed the House and there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes showing opposition in the provided materials. The bill’s language emphasizes rehabilitation, lawful conduct, and honorable citizenship, which is typical of suffrage-restoration measures and indicates a sympathetic legislative framing. No contrary arguments are documented in the supplied context.
Contention
No specific points of contention are shown in the provided materials. In general, private suffrage bills can raise questions about whether voting rights should be restored through individualized legislation rather than a uniform process, and whether the applicant has demonstrated sufficient rehabilitation. However, this bill’s text itself asserts that McCulloch has been law-abiding since completing supervision, and no recorded objections, amendments, or divided votes are included here.