|
Newsbrief:
Arkansas
Bill
That
Would
Have
Cut
Methamphetamine
Sentences
Defeated
3/4/05
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/377/arkbill.shtml
DRCNet
reported a month ago on the progress of an Arkansas
bill that would have reduced sentences for some methamphetamine offenders.
Given the wave of anti-methamphetamine hysteria sweeping the country, we
titled that story "Man Bites Dog." It was too good to be true.
The bill made it through the state Senate, but was defeated Tuesday in
a House committee vote. There is a slight chance it will be reconsidered,
but as things now stand, the measure is in limbo.
Under Arkansas law, perpetrators
of especially heinous crimes, such as rape, murder, and "causing a catastrophe"
must serve 70% of their prison sentences. As concern over methamphetamine
mounted, Arkansas lawmakers added meth manufacture and possession of paraphernalia
for meth manufacture to that list of crimes. SB 120 would have lifted
the 70% requirement for first- and second-time meth cooks in possession
of less than five grams.
Despite the backing of the
Arkansas Prosecuting Attorney's Association and the state prison director,
the bill failed in the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 8-6 after
being denounced by Republican lawmakers. Typical was the reaction
of Rep. Jeremy Hutchinson (R-Little Rock). "Unlike other drugs, the
actual cooking of meth is extremely dangerous and there are oftentimes
children... in the home itself," Hutchinson said. "Meth is an epidemic
in this state and across the nation. Meth has more victims than most
crimes under the 70% rule."
-- END --
|
Issue #377
-- 3/4/05
The
Ignorance
and
the
Damage
Done
|
International
Harm
Reduction
Battle
Heating
Up
|
National
Drug
Control
Strategy
Taking
Lumps
from
All
Sides
|
Under
New
South
Dakota
Anti-Meth
Law,
Drug
Use
Equals
Child
Abuse
|
DRCNet
Needs
You
to
Write
the
Senate
|
DRCNet/Perry
Fund
Event
to
Feature
Rep.
John
Conyers
and
Kemba
Smith,
March
9
in
Washington,
DC
|
Coasters
to
Stop
the
Drug
War
|
Events
and
Conferences
Coming
Up
for
Drug
Reformers
--
Come
Out
and
Be
a
Part
of
It
|
Newsbrief:
This
Week's
Corrupt
Cops
Stories
|
Newsbrief:
Four
Canadian
Mounties
Killed
Raiding
Marijuana
Grow
|
Newsbrief:
Legalize
It,
Says
Business
Week
Columnist
|
Newsbrief:
Washington
State
Drug
Reform
Coalition
Launches
Campaign
|
Newsbrief:
Texas
Racial
Profiling
Study
Finds
No
Progress,
Calls
for
Ban
on
Consent
Searches
|
Newsbrief:
Arkansas
Bill
That
Would
Have
Cut
Methamphetamine
Sentences
Defeated
|
Newsbrief:
Utah
Treatment
Not
Jail
Bill
Dying
For
Lack
of
Funding
|
Newsbrief:
Colombia
Guerrillas
Demand
Return
of
Commander
Extradited
to
US
|
Newsbrief:
British
Opposition
Promises
Tough
New
Drug
War
if
Elected
|
Newsbrief:
As
British
Parties
Embrace
Student
Drug
Testing,
Research
Report
Flashes
Caution
Light
|
Newsbrief:
"The
Marijuana-Logues"
Tour
Cancelled
After
Parole
Officer
Forces
Tommy
Chong
to
Quit
|
A
Drug
War
Carol
Now
Available
in
Spanish
and
French
|
This
Week
in
History
|
The
Reformer's
Calendar
|
This issue -- main page
This issue -- single-file printer version
Drug War Chronicle -- main page
Chronicle archives
|
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