April 22, 2007

OLYMPIA… After passing the Senate 43-4 on Thursday, Senate Bill 6157 was amended by the House of Representatives before being approved 64-33.  The Senate concurred with the House amendments Sunday and passed the bill again on a 41-6 vote. 

The provisions in SB 6157 were originally proposed by Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, who developed the legislation with Sen. Debbie Regala, D-Tacoma, after the two co-chaired the Joint Legislative Task Force on Offender Programs, Sentencing and Supervision last summer. 

“It’s been a wild roller-coaster these past few months,” Carrell said.  “The bill has had more lives than a cat and more twists than a corkscrew, but I’m very happy that it has finally taken a form that nearly everyone can agree with.” 

SB 6157 would restructure the way the state Department of Corrections incarcerates, treats and supervises offenders who are released into the community.  It would address employment and educational issues, as well as drug, alcohol and behavioral problems. 

Last week, Carrell’s original bill appeared to be dead in the House, but it was given new life in a Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing in the form of a striking amendment to an existing title-only bill on Wednesday.  Carrell says he’s pleased with the provisions in SB 6157, particularly the fair share aspect of it. 

“This really is the holy grail for Pierce County.  We’ve struggled mightily to get fair share,” Carrell said.  “DOC has been releasing felons from all over the state into Pierce County for over 20 years, and when this bill is signed into law, felons will no longer be dumped into our community.  Instead, the bill requires them to be released into the counties where they committed their original felonies.” 

Carrell added that the strong, bipartisan support for prison and supervision reform in the Senate is a great example of how state government should work. 

The governor supports the bill, which will now be delivered to her office to be signed into law.

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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