Bill > HB1979

This bill restores voting rights (suffrage) to Kunta Gates of Humphreys County, Mississippi, who was previously disqualified from voting due to a statutory rape conviction in 2008. Specifically, Gates was sentenced to a total of 20 years of punishment, which included 12 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, followed by 5 years of post-release supervision and 3 years of unsupervised probation. His full sentence expired on February 17, 2020, and the legislature notes that since completing his sentence, Gates has conducted himself as a law-abiding citizen. The bill effectively removes the prior legal barriers that prevented Gates from voting, thereby reinstating his full civil rights as an elector. The legislation would go into effect immediately upon its passage, allowing Gates to regain his right to vote in future elections.

Justice

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2025/pdf/history/HB/HB1979.xml