Rick Casey at the Houston Chronicle rounds up some of the positive criminal justice bills that passed in the 82nd Legislature, including eyewitness ID reform, expansion of post-conviction DNA testing, the merger of juvenile justice agencies, and reform of the compensation law to let Anthony Graves and other non-habeas innocence cases receive compensation. See the full article for more. This session will be remembered mostly for the Legislature's failure to fund public schools and Medicaid, particularly once the public figures out (probably not until right after the next election, when the bills come due) that the Lege failed to fund the entire budget and the whole schtick about not tapping the "Rainy Day Fund" was a big hoax, but it's important to look on the bright side of life.
MORE: From the Austin Chronicle.
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6 comments:
A little good news is better than none. Especially at the end of legislative session that produce so much bad law -- uninformed and downright counterproductive to justice issues.
Thanks for reminding your readers that the failure to use the Rainy Day Fund was a budget gimmick or hoax as you stated. Pushing payments into the next session will start us out with a deficit in the next session.
Thank you so much Grits for all the info, and especially this Monty Python video - hilarious and one of my favorites! Am a former prisoner and very grateful for all the news and analysis on your site.
So let me get this right? There is no "Rainy Day" Fund? It was all a big Hoax?
There's a Rainy Day Fund, 6:24, the "hoax" is the claim that this budget doesn't tap it. They budgeted Medicaid only through February 2013 and shorted other mandatory spending in such a way as to ensure a multi-billion dollar deficit when they meet next session. Just like this session, that shortfall will inevitably be made up with the Rainy Day Fund. They just put off admitting publicly it until after the 2012 election.
Grits: Thanks for clearing up the Rainy Day Fund Fiasco for me. I am kind of dumb and tend to believe my elected officials. I also specialize in sarcasim too. Thanks Again
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