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Washington House Votes To "Ban The Box"

ACLU of Washington

The Washington House voted today (Wednesday) for legislation that would “ban the box.” The bill forbids employers from including a box on the application that asks people about their criminal backgrounds. The goal is keep applicants from being weeded out before having a chance to explain their situations.

Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self (D-Seattle) is one of the co-sponsors. On the House floor, she spoke about a man she recently met. She said he’s in his early 30s and still paying the price for a vandalism conviction from his high school days.

“And he was regretful of that decision because he said it changed his life forever. He said he has applied for numerous jobs and can’t even tell his story. Since then he had gone to school, gotten to college, had a child and, unfortunately, his child is on public assistance because he can’t find a job,” Ortiz-Self said.

Opponents, including Rep. Ed Orcutt (R-Kalama), argued employers in some industries need to be able to screen people early in the process. Besides, he says, applicants for many jobs can already make their case.

“Anytime I’ve ever filled out an application and I’ve checked no on that box, I’ve also noticed that right below is a line that says ‘please explain,'" said Orcutt. "There’s already an opportunity for people to explain. And an employer that’s going through and looking at the application can look at that explanation.”

Several Republicans who said they support the concept urged the bill be pulled and amended before a vote. But the legislation was approved 52-46 on a mostly party-line vote. It now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Both the city of Spokane and Spokane County adopted “ban the box” policies last fall.