March 07, 2007
Bill to Address Felon Early Release Voted Down
The House of Representatives rejected an attempt by Republicans to bring a bill addressing the early release of felons to the floor for a vote. The motion to bypass the committee process and deal with the bill directly was defeated 39-58, with only three Democrats voting in favor.
The bill's contents sure seem reasonable in light of recent news on the issue; freezing the early release policy while requiring offenders who violate the terms of their community supervision to be remanded back to jail for the remainder of their original sentences.
Given the Governor's professed zeal for addressing the issue since originally reported by the Times, the hesitancy of the House is odd. Particularly given that the Department of Corrections has informed lawmakers some 250 felons were being released a month under the policy.
3,000 felons a year going back into the community simply because the State won't provide space to jail them is not an inconsequential matter. David Postman lays out the case Governor Gregoire didn't know about the policy as AG. The events he lays out make sense as far as they go, though the overall system that allows for such a policy to be enacted without the knowledge of the AG and the Governor seems illogical (admittedly not an unheard of thing in government).
At this point the issue still seems to have more questions than answers, while solutions from the Governor remain temporary for now. Thus, it seems perplexing House Democrats would not be more eager to address a clear community safety issue under the jurisdiction of the State, brought to their attention.
Posted by Eric Earling at March 07, 2007
07:23 AM | Email This
1. This is something that the Republican's should continue to point out to the public even if it means taking out full page adds in the newspaper or radio/tv commercials. This is an issue that all voters want addressed and the Dem's have obviously decided that using the State House to determine whether they think the President should be impeached (which isn't what they get paid for) or taking time on bills that will allow dogs in bars. If I were Luke Esser I would grab hold of this issue and run with it.
2. Next time a DEMOCRAP uses the line "it's for the children" get in their face and let them know their RECORD show "it's for the felon."
3. Tell me again why this became a party issue. It would seem that both sides of the aisle would want this to happen.
Other than "-----" envy, why would the Ds be against the bill? Would they be for it if the Ds had sponsored it?
4. Would they be for it if the Ds had sponsored it?
Winner, winner chicken dinner.
5. Grrrr!!! I hate politics.
6. Now that the D's have stopped this bill I guess they can move on with the more important stuff on their agenda like restoring felon voting rights.
7. These Democrats are a discusting lot and I honestly hope that a few of these felons take a few of them out!
8. Here's a slogan for the dim-o-crat party.
"Tough on tobacco companies, soft on felons"
If republicans don't point that out next cycle, they are truly in the dark.
9. Rob McKenna just found out about this too. The Attorney General's office wasn't in the information loop -- either before or after Gregoire was replaced with McKenna in January 2005. And the AG's office has no supervisory role over the Department of Corrections.
On the other hand, the Governor DOES have supervisory authority over the Department of Corrections. The DOC head is appointed by the Governor and serves at his or her pleasure. So this whole thing reflects badly on Mrs. Gregoire. Especially if she just now learned that her administration has been releasing 3,000 prisoners a year early for the two-plus years since she was installed in office.
10. #9. Pope
Rob McKenna just found out about this too. The Attorney General's office wasn't in the information loop -- either before or after Gregoire
Are they ever in the loop, or just fail to ask questions!
11. Are you insinuating AMV that when we elect politicians to state office, they just sit back and collect the adolation and perks of getting elected?
Yes, that stuff bothers me, too.
Was this a major issue that the AG or Governor should have been aware of? I just muse regarding what the left expects a President to know and how he is supposed to manage his people. Is he supposed to micromanage the country like Carter and Clinton, or does he manage like Reagan?
The issue with the vets treatments in the VA hospitals come to mind. The issue has been festering even before Bush came into office and certainly increased as our soldiers had to be treated for battle wounds. What should Bush have done then and why is he speaking out now? Did he just learn about it? Political reasons I hope not.
12. #11 Swatter
Well having done some time in a VA hospital I'm not surprised about what has happened. ( it's been going on for 30+ years)
What hasn't been said much about. That VA hosp was suppose to be closed by the Comgress ( base realingment)
But I don't wish to get on my soap box right now, because it could be days before I get off of it!
Bush has already picked to FOOLS to fix it. )-:
13. As far as I can tell, the Dems want the bill to go through committee first, so they can effectively gut it and make it totally useless. Remember the highly lauded child predator sentencing bill they passed? That was "refined" in committee, too. They ended up with a bill with lighter sentencing for child predators who are "known" by or "related to" the victim. They did this even after hearing testimony by law enforcement, the guys with hands-on experience, that those particular predators comprise, I think it was, 80% to 90% of the perps. So it's no surprise they want to put this particular legislation through committee first. Win-win situation. They gut it, the public and press pay no attention to the details, and then the legislators bow and take credit for doing "something" about a real and critical issue. Politics in it's shining hour.
14. Katomar, I doubt it will ever make it out of committee. This bill never got a committee hearing to begin with and actually had to be reintroduced for the R's to try to get the procedural vote done. The bill HB 2377 was reintroduced as HB 2084 (check the House site and you will see). The legislative session for 2007 ends on April 22 and I doubt we will see anything at all. Here is the link to HB 2084:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2084&year=2007
15. This is classic. Dems will hang themselves on this one too. One of the released felons is going to do something tragic, and then the news media will be all over it, and Gregoire will have her "Dukakis" moment. The Dem legislature shoots down any attempt to address the issue in a display of partisan gamesmanship.
Democrats eat their own. They are playing fast and loose with their governor.
16.
Another couple of hundred felon votes for "Chris" Lib-oire.
Plus the felons can work for Sims and King County demoncrats erasing Republican votes on mail in ballots.
17. How does Mrs. Gregoire or any Gov not know this? Doesn't she meet with those that work for her? I would assume that there must be a meeting....does she know ask or does the DOC head just never say, oh we had to let out another 250 felons this month. You'd think that would be in a monthly report on the corrections calendar. Also, what putz is in charge? Don't you think that dumb@ss would be saying hey my job is corrections and we have to release prisoners every month....I think I should tell the Gov about it.
Morons the whole lot.
18. It would have sailed off the floor if it had been amended to register all convicted felons as democrats.
19. Dengle, Gregoire is using the old Clinton "don't ask, don't tell" policy when dealing with her appointee at DOC.
20. Hinton #18 That's really good!
21. This will become a campaign weapon if things aren't changed. It is becoming more apparent all the time that the Democrat controlled Legislature in Olympia does not care about safety and welfare of the people and they are puppets of special interest. The special interests of the Democrats appear to be convicted felons, per #18.
Meanwhile, the Republicans had better start putting together a sound strategy.
22. Here is an update for everyone. It turns out that the three Democrats who voted for the bill have entered a change to the record stating that they actually meant to vote no on the bill. This means that ALL the Democrats voted against this bill.