Louisiana Sherriffs Shutdown Changing Marijuana Possession Laws
A bid to bring Louisiana’s marijuana sentencing laws more in line with national norms was unexpectedly opposed by the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association in a House committee hearing on Thursday, leading to a tense and at times angry meeting yesterday, reports the Advocate. Bill sponsor Rep. Austin Badon, D-New Orleans, said he had been told the sheriffs would remain neutral, according to nola.com.
Louisiana incarcerates more people, on a per-capita basis, than any other political jurisdiction on earth. That’s in large part due to drug sentencing laws that are among the toughest in the country. It’s a problem that everyone from the American Civil Liberties Union to libertarian policy groups, the Times-Picayune’s conservative columnist to district attorneys have recognized. But reform attempts have traditionally run aground at the Legislature after opposition from the law enforcement community. Badon’s House Bill 14 would have reduced the punishment for a second pot conviction from five years to two, and the punishment for a third conviction from 20 years to five. It also would have removed pot possession from being used as part of the state’s “habitual offender” law. Eighteen people serving life in prison in Louisiana have a marijuana possession as one of their “three strikes.”
On the budget front, the Fiscal Office found the change would save taxpayers $48.6 million dollars over five years – money that would otherwise flow to sheriffs, who get paid to house more than half of all state inmates. Next year’s budget includes $177 million for sheriff’s housing, and any laws that reduce sentences for non-violent drug offenders would cut into that cash flow.
Current surveys show thar Obamacare is reducing number of uninsured Americans
The PBS NewsHour reports on a survey by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which found that 5.4 million Americans gained access to health insurance between the end of September and the beginning of March as a result of the Affordable Care Act. The survey was conducted March 6 and did not include most of the last month of open enrollment in the new health exchanges when sign-ups surged, meaning it almost certainly undercounts the number of newly insured. Coming after the president’s announcement that more than 7 million people bought insurance plan through the new health exchange – in line with the original goal, despite massive technical problems the survey is another reason for optimism amongst ACA supporters.
The survey also notes that states that expanded Medicaid saw more dramatic decreases in the number of uninsured adults. Unfortunately, Louisiana’s continued opposition to Medicaid expansion will not only leave many adults uninsured and at risk of bankruptcy, but could contribute to as many as 500 or more avoidable deaths every year, according to a letter to Times-Picayune from two local physicians.
Gov. Bobby Jindal orders state spending “freeze”
Chances are pretty good that you missed the announcement sent out by the governor’s office at 6:30 p.m. on Friday – a time traditionally reserved for releasing bad news – that state spending has been “frozen” for the remainder of the fiscal year. Administration officials described the freeze as a standard precaution, and the main effects will be to curb discretionary travel and spending on things like office equipment and repairs by executive-branch agencies. While such freezes were common during the depths of the Great Recession, the latest version is sure to provide fresh fodder to the justifiable complaints that the state’s recent spate of new job announcements has failed to produce positive returns for state revenues. In my honest opinion, Jindal should stay here in Louisiana and deal with the issues instead of attempting to run a fruitless bid for President of the United States, but that is not new, Jindal never has never successfully completed any particular job since working for Louisiana State government.
Categories:
Weed, Health Care and State Money Woes
April 10, 2014
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