The will be ~today's thread~ on the FIRST STEP Act. Amendments will be debated and voted on today, possibly final vote on the bill a well.
Dick Durbin currently on the floor urging members to vote no on Tom Cotton's amendments, citing letters from crime victim groups.
Dick Durbin currently on the floor urging members to vote no on Tom Cotton's amendments, citing letters from crime victim groups.
Here we go. We're on to amendments now. Sen. Gardner now proposing amendment that would essentially legalize marijuana at the federal level in states that have done so
Sen. Kennedy, an opponent of the bill, now offering amendments. "Rather than try and fix [unjust laws] we’re going to give almost unfettered discretion to the bureaucrats and the Bureau of Prisons to fix our mistakes. It’s like putting paint on rotten wood."
Not that he was conceding that the laws were unjust.
First Kennedy amendment would require warden to notify victims if an inmate gets early release. Several victims groups oppose this because it doesn't allow victims to opt out of being notified.
First Kennedy amendment would require warden to notify victims if an inmate gets early release. Several victims groups oppose this because it doesn't allow victims to opt out of being notified.
On to comments by Sen. Bill Nelson now. Interviewed a former federal judge who quit the bench after he was forced to sentence a young drug offender to life reason.com/archives/2018/…
Senate voting now on Kennedy amendment to FIRST STEP Act that would require wardens to notify crime victims if inmates earn an earlier release under the bill.
Several crime victim groups wrote a letter opposing it because it didn't allow victims to opt out.
Several crime victim groups wrote a letter opposing it because it didn't allow victims to opt out.
Kennedy amendment to FIRST STEP Act fails. Two more from Cotton and Kennedy on the way.
If this amendment is getting trounced, it's a bad sign for Cotton's next two amendments. 
Second Cotton-Kennedy amendment adding more reporting requirements, victim notification, and giving wardens veto over some of the provisions, also fails. One more to go.
Senate voting now on the third and final Cotton-Kennedy amendment to the FIRST STEP Act, which would exclude six categories of inmates from being eligible for bill's provisions. Grassley says it's unnecessary.
The third Cotton-Kennedy amendment to the FIRST STEP Act fails, too. All three go down, should be moving on to an amendment from Grassley and then final vote.
And there you have it. The Senate will pass the FIRST STEP Act. Sails to passage 86-12, with McConnell voting yes.
Bill goes back to the House now.
reason.com/blog/2018/12/1…
Bill goes back to the House now.
reason.com/blog/2018/12/1…
*87-12, excuse me.
Speaking of the House, here's Paul Ryan
