Other LanguagesOlympia… Secretary of State Sam Reed and Attorney General Rob McKenna’s statement on the Washington State Supreme Court’s decision today in Madison v. State. This was the first case argued by Attorney General McKenna in front of the Washington State Supreme Court. Attorney General McKenna was assisted by Deputy Solicitor General Jeff Even.
“We commend the Supreme Court for making the right decision today. This is an important decision in favor of state’s authority to secure the integrity of the electoral process,” said Secretary of State Sam Reed and Attorney General Rob McKenna.
“Our state Legislature has determined felons should complete all the terms of their sentences before winning back the right to vote. It is the Legislature’s place, not the court’s, to decide whether or not to change state law,” added Reed.
“The Supreme Court’s decision upheld our argument that Washington’s disenfranchisement scheme did not violate the privileges and immunities clause of the state constitution or the equal protection clause of the United States Constitution,” McKenna said.
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Media Contacts:
J. Ryan Shannon, Media Relations Manager, Office of the Attorney General, (360) 753-2727
Joanie Deutsch, Assistant Communications Director, Office of the Secretary of State, (360) 902-4173