Dear Senators,
If you are not aware, there is mass public opposition to HB310. That
is because it gives the governor
massive new unchecked political power that is unnecessary to achieve
criminal justice reforms outlined in this bill. Here are some examples:
1. It establishes three new large powerful
entities that are unnecessary to
implement the criminal justice reforms in the bill (The Department of
Community Supervision, The Board of Community Supervision, The Governor’s
Office of Transition, Support and Recovery) (Page 1, Line 1-3)
2. It establishes a massive Department of Community Services that
has no limitations on the number of units (Page 6, Line 168-171) or number of employees that it can
have (Page 6, line 175-182)
3. Although the 3 new large powerful
entities perform some existing functions of about 5 current organizations, the bill does not dissolve any of those
organizations, thus resulting in a large expansion of state government
4. It has potential
to convert career employees of the current organizations to political employees who serve at the
pleasure of the governor and his Commissioner of Community Supervision (Page 5,
Line 155-158)
5. It allows the Commissioner of the
Department Community of Community Supervision to confer full police powers on any or all of the Departments’ employees
(Page 6, Lines DCS 191-200)
6. It allows the police powers to be used
to assist law enforcement in
maintaining peace thus giving the governor his own private police force to arrest and
control those who may oppose his policies (Page 6, Lines 201-204)
7. It bestows judicial authority on the
Department of Community Supervision to handle
cases and situations in hearings that would normally be handled by a judges
in court (Page 19, Lines 616-640)
8. It removes the presumption of innocence
in some cases by allowing the DCS to pressure a bonded defendant into a
pre-trial release program and impose
political restrictions or conditions before the defendant has been convicted of
a crime (Page 15 Line 479-508)
9. It has a loophole that allows DCS
Contractors to be compensated on a commission or contingency basis which
enables them to impose graduated
sanctions on probationers for their own profit motives (Page 6, Line
181)
Most of you
were elected on a platform to maintain limited government. This bill is a direct contradiction to your campaign promise. The legislature
will not have the courage to stand up
to the governor during future appropriations for the massive Department of
Community Supervision if the legislature does not have the courage to stand up
now in support of the citizens who elected them. You must decide whether
you work for the governor who wants unnecessary political power or work for the people who elected you. I ask you today
to honor your commitment to your constituents and vote “No” on this bill
Thank You
Please email to the following:
'john.albers@senate.ga.gov';
'brandon.beach@senate.ga.gov'; 'charlie.bethel@senate.ga.gov';
'ellis.black@senate.ga.gov'; 'dean.burke@senate.ga.gov';
'gloria.butler@senate.ga.gov'; 'bill.cowsert@senate.ga.gov';
'mike.crane@senate.ga.gov'; 'gail.davenport@senate.ga.gov';
'mike.dugan@senate.ga.gov'; 'vincent.fort@senate.ga.gov';
'frank.ginn@senate.ga.gov'; 'steve.gooch@senate.ga.gov'; 'marty.harbin@senate.ga.gov';
'ed.harbison@senate.ga.gov'; 'tyler.harper@senate.ga.gov';
'bill.heath@senate.ga.gov'; 'steve.henson@senate.ga.gov';
'hunter.hill@senate.ga.gov'; 'jack.hill@senate.ga.gov';
'judson.hill@senate.ga.gov'; 'chuck.hufstetler@senate.ga.gov';
'bill.jackson@senate.ga.gov'; 'lester.jackson@senate.ga.gov';
'donzella.james@senate.ga.gov'; 'rick.jeffares@senate.ga.gov';
'burt.jones@senate.ga.gov'; 'emanuel.jones@senate.ga.gov';
'harold.jones@senate.ga.gov'; 'john.kennedy@senate.ga.gov'; 'greg.kirk@senate.ga.gov';
'william.ligon@senate.ga.gov'; 'david.lucas@senate.ga.gov';
'p.k.martin@senate.ga.gov'; 'josh.mckoon@senate.ga.gov';
'fran.millar@senate.ga.gov'; 'butch.miller@senate.ga.gov';
'jeff.mullis@senate.ga.gov'; 'nan.orrock@senate.ga.gov'; 'elena.parent@senate.ga.gov';
'ronald.ramsey@senate.ga.gov'; 'michael.rhett@senate.ga.gov';
'valencia.seay@senate.ga.gov'; 'david.shafer@senate.ga.gov';
'freddie.sims@senate.ga.gov'; 'jesse.stone@senate.ga.gov';
'horacena.tate@senate.ga.gov'; 'bruce.thompson@senate.ga.gov';
'curt.thompson@senate.ga.gov'; 'lindsey.tippins@senate.ga.gov';
'ross.tolleson@senate.ga.gov'; 'renee.unterman@senate.ga.gov';
'ben.watson@senate.ga.gov'; 'john.wilkinson@senate.ga.gov'
Source: Lanier Tea Party
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