1. California (Golden Gate Media) – California governor Gavin Newsom proposed reducing the $12 billion state budget deficit by closing another prison by 2026. “While Proposition 36 is expected to increase (the prison) population, the population should continue its downward trend over the long-term,” said Gov. Newsom. However, Republicans in the Senate said the declining prison population was caused by Propositions 47 (2014) and Proposition 57 (2016).
2. Minnesota (KAXE – KBXE 91.7 & 90.5 fm) – A new Minnesota proposal aims to end forced labor of incarcerated persons. Advocates said the wording in the Minnesota Constitution allows those incarcerated to be outsourced for municipal work. The End Slavery in Minnesota Coalition said the bill would make those individuals legal workers with specific rights when they are released. “If we want a safety system and not a slavery system, this is how we get it,” said David Boehnke, the coalition’s lead organizer.
3. Ohio (Axios Cleveland) – Ohio can’t acquire the drugs used for lethal injections, and advocates are pushing legislators to repeal the practice. “Repealing the death penalty is not just fiscally responsible, it is a moral and practical necessity,” said Kevin Werner, executive director of Ohioans to Stop Executions. Attorney General Dave Yost, who supports the death penalty, called the system a “ponderous machine that burns enormous amounts of effort, time and money, all to no purpose.” Yost said the state should work with the federal government to secure the lethal drugs.
4. Michigan (Bolts) – A new state Supreme Court ruling opens the door for nearly 600 people sentenced to life without parole. The ruling said that imposing an LWOP sentence on minors is unconstitutional. Prosecutors have 180 days to decide each case. The “statutory time period to assess each individual case and locate the victim’s family is untenable,” said prosecuting attorney Kim Worthy. The ruling gives each case a defined sentence ranging from 25 years to life to a maximum of 60 years.
5. Louisiana (Associated Press) –Republicans rejected a bill that would have given prisoners convicted by a non-unanimous jury a chance at a new trial in a 9-26 vote. Opponents of the bill raised concerns about locating witnesses of decades-old cases. Supporters said the bill would have opened the door for innocent prisoners to have a chance at a new trial. “This is about what’s right, not about what’s easy or convenient,” said Sen. Royce Duplessis, who authored the bill.
6. Florida (CBS) –Florida’s Senate passed a criminal justice bill. The Tristin Murphy Act aims to treat mental illness as opposed to incarcerating those with severe mental illness. Senate President Ben Albritton said, “… this bill will save lives. It’s going to change the trajectory for people in Florida that don’t even know it yet. It’s going to make our system stronger.” The bill will provide additional resources to the programs in Miami-Dade County and around the state.
