AR Senate OKs Bill for Prison-time Cuts for Meth Makers
By: Import User
Updated: February 27, 2009
LITTLE ROCK (AP) - The Arkansas Senate has unanimously approved a bill allowing prison-time reductions for convicted methamphetamine makers sentenced under a 1997 law requiring them to serve at least 70% of their sentence.
The measure given Senate approval today would allow those meth offenders to earn meritorious good time that could lower the mandatory time behind bars to 50% of their sentences. The measure now goes to the House.
The Legislature has passed the so-called 70 percent rule in 1997 to address a rise in meth manufacturing in the state, but lawmakers in 2005 eased that rule to allow them to to lower the mandatory time to 50%. That change, however, only applied to offenders convicted starting Aug. 12 of that year.
The proposal approved by the Senate today removes that date restriction. Sen. Jim Luker of Wynne, who sponsored the
legislation, said he had gotten several families asking how it could be fair to have such a benefit available based only on an
arbitrary date.
A spokesman for Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe said the governor plans to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
The measure given Senate approval today would allow those meth offenders to earn meritorious good time that could lower the mandatory time behind bars to 50% of their sentences. The measure now goes to the House.
The Legislature has passed the so-called 70 percent rule in 1997 to address a rise in meth manufacturing in the state, but lawmakers in 2005 eased that rule to allow them to to lower the mandatory time to 50%. That change, however, only applied to offenders convicted starting Aug. 12 of that year.
The proposal approved by the Senate today removes that date restriction. Sen. Jim Luker of Wynne, who sponsored the
legislation, said he had gotten several families asking how it could be fair to have such a benefit available based only on an
arbitrary date.
A spokesman for Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe said the governor plans to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
