WITH
ABIGAIL OGLE, MARKIE MARTIN, AND
METEOROLOGIST BRAD SOWDER.
ANCHOR: BACK WITH YOU AT 9:12.
VOTERS, YOU, JUST APPROVED
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
BYPASSING TWO STATE QUESTIONS IN
NOVEMBER.
STATE QUESTIONS 780, 781 WOULD
DOWNGRADE SOME CRIMES FROM
FELONIES TO MISDEMEANORS.
JOINING US, WE HAVE SENATOR
RALPH SHORTEY.
YOU INTRODUCED A BILL WANTING TO
CHANGE THE LANGUAGE IN STATE
QUESTIONS 780 AND 781.
WHY?
>> I'VE GOT FIVE MAJOR CONCERNS
I HAVE OUTLINED AT A TOWN HALL
LAST NIGHT.
THE MAIN CONCERN I HAVE WITH
STATE QUESTION 780.
THE VOTERS WERE CLEAR THAT THEY
WANTED TO DOWNGRADE SOME OF THE
POSSESSION CHARGES FROM FELONIES
TO MISDEMEANORS.
ALSO, WE RENEWED THE SECTION OF
LAW THAT MAKES IT A FELONY TO
HAVE DRUGS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS AND
TO USE DRUGS IN THE PRESENCE OF
A MINOR CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF
12.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS IN THERE
BEFORE I VOTED FOR STATE
QUESTION 780.
I VOTED FOR 780.
I DID NOT VOTE FOR 781.
I THINK IT NEEDS A LOT OF WORK.
STATE QUESTION 780 AND
DOWNGRADING THOSE POSSESSION
CHARGES, I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S
GOOD POLICY TO SAY IF YOU DO
DRUGS ON A SCHOOL GROUND, IF YOU
SHOOT UP HEROIN AND LEAVE YOUR
NEEDLES ON THE SCHOOL GROUND, IT
SHOULD ONLY BE A MISDEMEANOR
CRIME.
I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE VERY
CLEAR THAT YOU SHOULD NOT BE
DOING DRUGS AT SCHOOLS, YOU
SHOULD NOT BE DOING THEM IN
FRONT OF MINOR CHILDREN.
THERE ARE CONCERNS THERE I THINK
WE NEED TO FLESH OUT THROUGH THE
LEGISLATURE.
>> WE HAVE THE AUTHOR OF THE
BILL ON THIS SHOW TALKED ABOUT
THE CONCERNS.
HE SAID THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.
THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED
UNDER THIS AND THAT IT WOULD BE
UP TO A JUDGE, OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE
TAKING IT CASE BY CASE, SOMEONE
SHOOTING UP ON A PLAYGROUND NEXT
TO A CHILD --
>> THE SECTION THAT MADE IT A
FELONY IS GONE.
IT'S BEEN REMOVED BY STATE
QUESTION 780.
I HAVE CONCERN WITH THOSE
PROXIMITY CRIMES.
I WAS DOING RESEARCH THROUGH THE
SCHEDULE ONE DRUGS.
THERE'S A LOT OF DRUGS IN THERE
USED TO INCAPACITATE ANOTHER
INDIVIDUAL.
I THINK THE INTENT IS IF YOU'RE
USING FOR PERSONAL USE, WE WANT
TO FREE UP MONEY TO HELP YOU
THROUGH REHABILITATION PROGRAMS,
WHICH I SUPPORT THAT WORK.
I HAVE A REAL PROBLEM IF WE'RE
SAYING IF YOU'RE HAVING THE DATE
RAPE DRUG, THAT POSSESSION IS
MISDEMEANOR.
IT'S TOUGH TO PROVE INTENT,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A DRUG
THAT PEOPLE SAY COULD BE USED
FOR PERSONAL USE OR OTHERWISE.
I'M NOT SURE WHY ANYBODY WOULD
USE RO HIBNOL FOR PERSONAL USE.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE DRUGS
TO SEE WHICH ARE A TRUE DANGER
TO SOCIETY AND WHETHER THEY
SHOULD BE A SIMPLE MISDEMEANOR
POSSESSION.
>> WE HAVE A QUESTION ON THE
DATE RAPE DRUG.
CAN LEGISLATORS CHANGE THINGS
ONCE VOTERS HAVE ALREADY VOTED
ON STATE QUESTIONS?
WHAT WOULD BE THE POINT OF
VOTING ON STATE QUESTIONS IF YOU
CAN CHANGE THEM?
>> I THINK EVEN THE PROPONENTS
OF THE TWO STATE QUESTIONS SAID
THERE NEED TO BE SOME TWEAKS.
I FOUND OUT THE OTHER NIGHT THAT
SPEAKER STEELE, WHO AUTHORED
THIS LEGISLATION THROUGH THE
STATE QUESTION, WANTED TO GO
BACK AND MOVE THE PORTIONS OF
781 THAT PUT EVERYTHING -- PUT
IT UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
IN DRAFTING THE ORIGINAL
LANGUAGE, THE CHANGES IN THE
STATE LAW, THERE WERE ISSUES
THAT THEY JUST DIDN'T THINK OUT
ALL THE WAY.
SO YOU'VE GOT TO GO BACK AND
FIX.
MY POINT IS, THE VOTERS REALLY
WANT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
THEY VOTED FOR IT
>> DO YOU?
>> YES.
IT NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED
PROPERLY.
781 DOES NOT IMPLEMENT IT
PROPERLY.
ALL IT DOES IS SAY THESE FOLKS
WILL NOT BE IN STATE PRISONS,
BUT EACH OF THESE MISDEMEANORS
CARRY A ONE-YEAR SENTENCE.
780 DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT
PEOPLE WILL NOT BE LOCKED UP.
THEY JUST WON'T BE LOCKED UP IN
STATE PRISONS.
>> THEY ARE HOPING TO SAVE
MONIES BECAUSE PRISONS ARE
OVERCROWDED.
THEY THINK A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE
ARE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, THEY
ARE GETTING 30 YEARS, SLAPPED
WITH A FELONY.
YO -- HOW DID YOU DECIDE
PEOPLE WERE CONFUSED ON THIS
ONE, NOT TEACHER PAY RAISES OR
RIGHT TO FARM?
WHY DID YOU DECIDE PEOPLE WERE
CONFUSED ON THIS ONE?
>> I NEVER STATED THEY DIDN'T
UNDERSTAND.
>> YOU SAID THE REFERENDUM WAS
POORLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE
ELECTORATE.
>> 27 SECTIONS OF LAW WERE
CHANGED.
I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A
MAJORITY OF THE ELECTORATE KNEW
THAT THE PROXIMITY CRIMES USING
DRUGS ON PLAYGROUNDS, I FIND IT
HARD TO BELIEVE THEY KNEW THAT
WAS PART OF THE STATE QUESTION.
I DIDN'T READ THE STATUTORY
CHANGES.
I WENT OFF THE BALLOT TITLE.
WHEN I READ THE ACTUAL STATUTORY
CHANGE, A LOT OF CONCERNS JUMPED
OUT.
HOUSE 781 WAS GOING TO IMPLEMENT
THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.
THE DIRECTOR IS GOING TO DECIDE
HOW MUCH MONEY IS SAVED.
THERE'S NO PROCESS TO DETERMINE
WHAT THAT MONEY IS OR WHAT A
SAVINGS REALLY IS.
THERE'S NO ACCOUNTING FOR THAT.
IT JUST SAYS THE DIRECTOR WILL
DETERMINE WHAT THE SAVINGS AND
THEN THAT PERSON WILL DISTRIBUTE
THE MONEY TO COUNTIES.
>> WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
QUICKLY, I WANT TO GET TO ONE
QUESTION.
AUSTIN SAID, WHY WOULD WE CHANGE
780 AS BEING THE NUMBER ONE
STATE IN THE NATION WITH WOMEN
IN THE PRISON?
HOW MANY OF THESE WOMEN HAVE
KIDS THAT THEY COULD BE RAISING
INSTEAD OF SENDING THESE KIDS TO
FOSTER FAMILIES, THE MOMS COULD
BE GETTING REHAB INSTEAD OF
LOCKING THEM UP WITH A FELONY?
ARE YOU OPPOSED THAT?
>> NO.
THE FUNCTIONAL PORTIONS OF THE
STATUTES WERE POORLY WRITTEN.
A SITUATION LIKE THAT DOES NOT
GUARANTEE THAT MOTHER CAN GO
INTO A REHABILITATION PROGRAM.
IT LEAVES UP TO THE DISCRETION
OF A JUDGE.
WE OUGHT TO WRITE IN A PROCESS
BY WHICH PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY
RECEIVE THE REHABILITATION
FUNDING AND GO THROUGH THE
SERVICES.
RIGHT NOW, THAT'S NOT PART OF
THE STATE QUESTION.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét