There are eight sponsors to the "Free the Vote Act" (HB 2030) so far and "Free the Vote" is a lovely name, evocative of times where courageous people championed the cause of liberty and enlightenment.  But one suspects readers may consider this name ever so slightly misleading since the only reason the "votes" in question were not free was because the people who might have cast them were convicted of committing serious crimes. Perhaps even crimes the average person would consider heinous. 

From the non-partisan legislative staff analysis:

An individual's right to vote is only revoked by reason of a criminal conviction if the individual is convicted of an infamous crime in a Washington state court. For the purposes of voter qualifications, "infamous crime" is redefined as "a state crime punishable by death." "Infamous crime" does not include any felony that is not punishable by death.

Now I am not a lawyer and it has been many, many years since I was a researcher by trade, so there is no doubt there are details to this legislation I do not yet understand (and that I'm not sure would make me feel any better), but from the onset I can say I do find it odd that a redefinition would be tied to crimes "punishable by death" when the death penalty has been axed in this state. 

There are many more questions that come to mind concerning this proposal and the scope of its impact -- not just in voting but for jury pool selection as well. But those will hold for another day. 

I look forward to further analysis.