Miller having a snit: http://thedailyrecord.com/2014/03/17/bills-held-hostage-over-a-snit/
Miller having a snit: http://thedailyrecord.com/2014/03/17/bills-held-hostage-over-a-snit/
He says he's been in Annapolis for 50 YEARS. I found the problem, Maryland!
(A report issued by the Department of Legislative Services shows that the House had passed 517 bills to 381 in the Senate before either chamber met for session on Monday.)
Read farther into the linked article , and Del Hough's Twitter is quoteed to the effect " maybe this will help bad bills to die " .
But Norton is on to a good philosophical point.
Suspend disbelief for a moment , and posit that there actually some legislators who actually are sincerly trying to do the right thing . They pay attention to their Districts , listen to their constituants, analyze the problems facing their communities. So far , so good , and the ways things are supposed to be.
But the problem then is they only have one tool in their toolbox . (Beyond the most basic constituant service) , all they can do is propose a Bill. When your only tool is a hammer , all the problems start to look like nails.
There is no built in BS filter to say that even if a problem/ situation is real , then sometimes : It is not somthing that Gov't can or should be capable to deal with. Something are better dealt with by the local community , or local groups , or non-governmaental groups generally.
Add the irony of the officer shooting in Baltimore, by an early release killer...
Heaven forbid the GA does the right thing, yaknow??
This is something the press needs to show. I haven't seen any news about HB-712 sitting in a drawer with not committee vote. Del. Smigiel has some comments on FB, but where are the local tv stations?
Yum...
Shenanigans.....
This is something the press needs to show. I haven't seen any news about HB-712 sitting in a drawer with not committee vote. Del. Smigiel has some comments on FB, but where are the local tv stations?
People convicted of violent crimes must serve at least half of the term imposed by a judge but can earn credits while in prison to reduce their total sentence. Inmates released before the end of their term are required to report to a probation agent for the remainder of the length of the sentence.
With Crossover behind us, we are now in the final stretch for the 2014 session, and the attention of the People will be focused on the remaining few weeks as a critical time for Maryland.
Several bills will have the attention of Marylanders in general, but I want to focus mainly on public safety issues and firearms rights, as we come closer to the final days of the session.
Today, I would like to cover SB164 and HB712, relating to Diminution Credits to sentences for crimes of violence committed with firearms.
As we all know, this bill is an attempt to provide for mandatory minimum sentences for criminals imprisoned for crimes of violence, committed with firearms. Removing "good time" credits for these inmates is a very simple way to keep our communities safer, by preventing violent felons from returning to the streets where they are likely to offend again, until their full sentence is served.
This concept was proposed in the 2013 session as an amendment to the Firearm Safety Act of 2013, both by Sen. Brochin and Del. Smigiel. In the Senate, the amendment was rejected. However, in the House, the uproar caused by improper voting on the amendment is still being heard today, and has not been forgotten.
We saw a perfect example of the need for this bill this past weekend, with the shooting of Baltimore Police Sgt. Keith McNeill, allegedly by a felon on early release from a 30-year sentence for 2nd Degree Murder. If there were true mandatory minimum sentences in Maryland, this well-regarded veteran officer of 19 years would not be laying in Shock Trauma today, fighting for his life.
I simply do not understand the reticence of the General Assembly to keeping violent criminals away from polite society, and in doing so protect good people from harm.
This bill must be passed into law, as part of a more comprehensive effort to promote the individual safety, well-being, and security of the public across the state.
As always, I thank you for your consideration, and look forward to a positive outcome.
Firing up the email machine...
This to the GA as a whole:
Great message, thinking of tweak/send.
Can you post the mechanism you use to email the entire GA? Thanks