The Spokane City Council has voted to “ban the box.”
By a five-to-two margin, the council approved an ordinance that forbids employers from asking applicants about past arrests and convictions before the applicants receive job interviews. Council members Mike Fagan and Candace Mumm voted no.
The Monday night vote on the Fair Chance Hiring measure came after two hours of testimony, nearly all of it from people supporting the ordinance.
They included Dora Williams, who said she spoke on behalf of people who did time, including three family members.
“I’m not suggesting we reward bad behavior," Williams said. "I’m suggesting we give people the fundamental right to change and to create a better life for themselves and their families. The interview process doesn’t change. Skills and requirement doesn’t change for the job. Having a willingness to work doesn’t change. Let’s ‘ban the box’ and give people a chance to do better.”
Supporters say ordinances that encourage businesses to interview and hire ex-offenders leads to lower recidivism rates. It allows employers to conduct criminal background checks as part of the post-interview hiring process.
The new ordinance comes three years after the city removed questions about past criminal history on its employment applications. Spokane County adopted a similar policy last month. State Sen. Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane) sponsored a similar bill for the legislature to consider this bill. The Senate approved it, but not the House.