Late this afternoon, The Sacramento Bee reported that GOP state legislators were threatening to vote down the budget deal reached just last night as part of a Republican backlash over a Democratic legislative proposal to release thousands of state prisoners to home detention and county jails. The Democrats' proposal also included creating a state commission to review criminal sentences.
The Democrats' proposal is intended to slice $1.2 billion from the state budget.
Assembly GOP leader Sam Blakeslee said last night's budget agreement clearly ruled out early prisoner releases. He added that both parties' legislative leadership had agreed in the deal to address the prison issue in August after getting the budget through the Legislature.
According to The Sacramento Bee, Blakeslee emailed his fellow Assembly Republicans with the following statement,
"Budget negotiations depend on the good faith actions of all parties. A corrections bill that includes the early release of 27,000 prisoners and a sentencing commission was never
discussed or agreed to by Republicans. We made it abundantly clear during negotiations that such policies would endanger the public and were unacceptable."
Blakeslee went on to write that he had personally called the Democratic legislative leadership to tell them that "there will be no votes for any portion of the budget if they allow such a bill to be part of the package."
So it's game on...
For the first time in months I have to say...GOOD FOR THE G.O.P.!!!
that such policies would endanger the public and were unacceptable
