WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 4144

Suffrage; restore to Tony Qualls of Humphreys County.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Timaka James-Jones

The bill would immediately restore Tony Qualls’ voting rights after his felony convictions, declaring he has been law-abiding.

Died In Committee
#judiciaryb #judiciary #divisionb
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 4144

Summary of HB 4144 (Mississippi, 2026 Session)

Purpose

  • Restore the right of suffrage (voting eligibility) to Tony Qualls of Humphreys County, Mississippi.
  • The bill specifically states that Qualls’ right to vote is “fully and completely restored” after prior felony convictions and related disqualifications.

Key Provisions

  • Section 1: The right of suffrage is restored to Tony Qualls, who had been disqualified due to a burglary-related criminal history.
    • Background details provided:
    • Initial conviction: Burglary-Vehicle on February 2, 2004 (Washington County).
    • Sentence: Three years in the Intensive Supervision Program/House Arrest under the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC).
    • Subsequent convictions: Burglary-Nonresidential (July 6, 2007) and Burglary-Vehicle (August 17, 2007); sentences (four years in MDOC) served concurrently.
    • Parole: November 11, 2008; sentence expiration: April 16, 2013.
    • Additional conviction: Burglary-Nonresident on April 22, 2013; three years in MDOC plus one year supervised probation.
    • Paroled: April 22, 2014; discharged: March 28, 2015.
    • The act asserts Qualls has since conducted himself as a law-abiding and honorable citizen.
  • Section 2: Effective date – The act takes effect upon passage.

Affected Parties

  • Primary beneficiary: Tony Qualls of Humphreys County, Mississippi.
  • The bill implies a restoration of voting rights to Qualls in the future, removing prior disqualification tied to his criminal history.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Status history:
    • Referred to Judiciary B (March 13, 2026)
    • Passed in committee stages through March 18, 2026 (Title Suff Do Pass noted March 18)
    • Transmitted to Senate (March 20, 2026)
    • Died in Committee (April 15, 2026) in the Senate process
  • Sponsor: Representative Timaka James-Jones (Co-sponsor noted as Timaka James-Jones in the record)
  • If enacted, the bill would immediately restore voting rights to Qualls upon passage.

Contextual Notes

  • The bill is narrowly tailored to a specific individual, rather than creating a broad policy change affecting all individuals with similar criminal histories.
  • It does not detail any ongoing eligibility criteria beyond restoration of suffrage; it relies on findings that Qualls has demonstrated law-abiding conduct since his releases.

This summary presents the bill’s stated purpose, the precise restoration action, the factual background provided, and the legislative status as of the latest available record. If you’d like, I can compare this bill to existing Mississippi law on suffrage restoration or provide a side-by-side with similar individual-restoration measures.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.