Questions About Criminal Histories May Come Off Many State Job Applications In Tennessee

A campaign to help ex-convicts by removing questions about criminal histories from job applications scored a major victory Monday night, when Tennessee lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to “ban the box” for many state government jobs.

The state House of Representatives voted 64-24 Monday night to bar most state agencies from screening out jobseekers based on whether they have a criminal history. Many employers do so by including a checkbox on applications asking about past convictions.

Companion legislation was approved in the Senate earlier this month.

The proposal — a favored cause among progressives — has sailed through the Republican-controlled Tennessee legislature fairly easily.

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Supporters say
Senate Bill 2440 will give former felons, especially those convicted of relatively minor charges like drug possession, a fighting chance of finding work. They say employers can learn about applicants’ past when they come in for an interview and have a chance to explain.

But even Tennessee lawmakers say ban-the-box should have limits. The bill excludes the state Department of Education and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Republican legislators have also opposed bills that would have required government contractors to ban the box.