April 18, 2007

OLYMPIA…Senate Bill 6157 has now become the primary vehicle for comprehensive prison and supervision reform in Washington State.  The bill is currently in the Senate Rules Committee awaiting a pull to the floor.

The proposal has gone through many changes during the course of the 2007 Legislative session.  Originally, Senate Bill 5070 was developed as a result of a legislative task force studying ways to reduce recidivism.  SB 5070 passed 47-1 in the Senate, but appeared to be dead in the House of Representatives.

To save the proposal, Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, the bill’s prime sponsor, resurrected it in the form of Senate Bill 6172 on Monday.  Because the bill is directly tied to the state operating budget, it is not subject to some of the legislative deadlines that other bills must adhere to.  However, a constitutional rule prevents action on any new bills proposed within the last ten days of session without a two-thirds vote.  Instead, the exact language of SB 6172 was amended onto an existing bill, Senate Bill 6157.

SB 6157 was originally a title-only bill, with the title of ‘Relating to Human Services.’  It was referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee on March 22.  That made it an ideal vehicle to carry Carrell’s prison and supervision reform proposal.

Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, originally sponsored SB 6157 and will remain the sponsor of the measure in name only.  There is no legislative mechanism for amending sponsors, so replacing Prentice’s name with Carrell’s is not possible.

SB 6157, now in its final form, passed out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee Wednesday, and it is expected to be placed on the Senate second reading calendar for a floor vote Thursday.

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Sen. Mike Carrell represents the 28^th Legislative District, which includes Lakewood, Steilacoom, University Place, DuPont, Fircrest, and parts of Tacoma, Fort Lewis, and McChord Air Force Base.

For more information contact Erich R. Ebel
at (360) 786-7395