"That was my freshman bill. The following year, the state passed my bill to expand housing assistance vouchers from three to six months for people released from prison."
"When we did the analysis, [we found that] 2 million people in our state would benefit. I've gotten texts and calls from people who have been able to utilize that charity care at hospitals now because of that change."
"Simmons is among a handful of formerly incarcerated women elected to public office. All are open about their past convictions and incarceration, and have used those experiences to challenge longstanding 'tough-on-crime' policies."
Tarra Simmons, the first formerly incarcerated state representative in Washington, has successfully passed legislation restoring voting rights and expanding housing assistance for formerly incarcerated individuals. In 2022, she introduced a bill that increased housing assistance vouchers from three to six months. Additionally, she passed a law expanding free hospital care for individuals earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Simmons' efforts aim to challenge tough-on-crime policies and enhance social resources to reduce violence and poverty.
Read at Truthout
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]