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ProgRocknProgPol

(143 posts)
Tue Dec 11, 2018, 10:12 PM Dec 2018

Has anyone with a law background here kept an eye on the First Step Act?

From what I heard, the Turtle will bring the bill to a senate vote, where if it (most likely) passes, it will be sent back to the house. This bill seems like a good one, but I admittedly have no knowledge of the nitty gritty in the law. I have a few questions:

1) Precisely what increased discretion does it give judges with respect to sentencing and which judges are awarded this discretion?

2) Are the rehabilitation programs proposed for released/minor crime offenders subject to budgetary oversight and performance regulation/evaluation? If so, then by whom?

3) If this bill was such a success, then why didn't Republicans/Spanky try to pass it (or at least use it as a vote motivator) before the midterms? You'd think that they'd try to tout something that may pull some African American Democrats (the Van Jones wing anyway) and Independents over to their side so they wouldn't lose the House.

4) Do the Pubs actually want to pass this bill?

5) After Spanky's spanking today, will he/Republicans try to poison the bill with Wall Funding in order to try and tie the Democrats' hands? Would this even work?

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