"In fact, even as legislation is still pending in Congress to reform the law, some are already clammering to take credit for the new sentencing reform momentum. In a Reuters op-ed Thursday, Grover Norquist and his Americans for Tax Reform colleague Patrick Gleason write that Attorney General Eric Holder was a follower of GOP-led states, not a leader, when he announced a new directive to prosecutors not to seek mandatory minimum sentences for some drug offenses. Norquist is right that many states — both red and blue — have led the way on criminal justice reform, facing tight budgets and soaring prison costs. Attorney General Eric Holder acknowledged as much during his announcement when he said, “Clearly, these strategies can work. They’ve attracted overwhelming, bipartisan support in ‘red states’ as well as ‘blue states.’ And it’s past time for others to take notice.” There are still many states that haven’t implemented any or enough reform, which is why ALEC is pushing its model legislation at the state level. But while ALEC, which lost many corporate supporters in the wake of news that it was behind Stand Your Ground laws, may have turned the corner on criminal justice, it remains quietly committed to many other destructive state policies, including opposing minimum wage increases, blocking paid sick leave, and opposing renewable energy.
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 21:14:06 +0000
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