filed under Daily Dose
Mandatory Mins repeal passes House
8:43AM ON
05/30/2008
BY
Dave Segal
Rep. Gorham has a libertarian streak that makes me a little surprised that he’s so opposed to this bill. (Not to mention the fiscally conservative impulse to not blow needless millions on the prison system.)
After reading whole sections of Carcieri’s veto message from last year, Gorham asked House Judiciary Committee Chairman Donald Lally who was for it and who was against it. In response, Lally said he believed “the public defender was in favor of it … and numerous other people.”
“The public defender was in favor of it? Wow, what a surprise,” said Gorham laughing.
From the back of the cavernous House chamber came a loud — “Ha Ha Ha” — from Rep. John Patrick Shanley, D-South Kingstown, which led Gorham to say: “Laugh all you want. You’re the one who’s going to vote for it so, you know, open the jail house doors a little wider.” (Explaining his actions later, Shanley said he believed Gorham’s own “ha-ha-ha” deserved a “ho-ho-ho,” but moreover, as a former probation officer, he believes judges should be able to make case-by-case sentencing decisions.)
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