And justice for all…

Citizens should study bills and take initiative and contact their public officials

By Marjorie R. Esman
Guest Columnist

The 2014 session of the Louisiana Legislature just got underway. Between now and June 2nd, when the session ends, legislators will stay busy with hundreds of bills up for review. As always, the ACLU is involved in quite a few important issues that can affect the lives of people across the state.

Criminal justice reform is at the top of our list. It’s by now well known that Louisiana incarcerates more of our own people than anyplace else on the globe. Much of this is because of outdated requirements for long “mandatory minimum” sentences and “three-strikes” laws, which have the effect of sending nonviolent offenders – largely drug users – to prison for disproportionately long periods of time. People are beginning to recognize the fallacy that this presents, given that mass incarceration hasn’t made us any safer and has cost us enormous amounts of public funds, not to mention the toll on our communities. We’re hoping to see some major changes at the Legislature on this issue this year.

For instance, last year, at the initiative of the ACLU, Louisiana began to explore reforming marijuana sentencing laws. This year there are several bills introduced on marijuana sentencing reform, ranging from decreasing the current maximum sentence from 20 years to 5, to making all marijuana possession a misdemeanor, with no more than $100 fine and 6 months. One bill would make the “habitual offender” tag not applicable when involving simple marijuana possession charges; and another seeks to change the designation of marijuana as a controlled substance, downgrading it from Schedule I to a Schedule II designation. There is also a proposal to implement the long-dormant Louisiana law allowing medical marijuana. One thing is clear: the Louisiana Legislature understands that we need a serious conversation about why we treat marijuana possession as harshly as we do.

Other important bills would make it easier for the formerly incarcerated to re-enter society successfully. “Ban the box” legislation, which would prohibit asking a job applicant about a criminal background until later in the hiring process, as well as a bill allowing former convicted felons to regain the right to vote upon release rather than completion of probation or parole, are also up for hearings. Another proposal would require a “racial impact” or risk study on all bills that modify criminal laws. Also important is legislation that would require the state Depart­ment of Corrections to reinvest savings from criminal justice reforms back into the system to prevent further harm.

Other issues are up for debate as well, including a massive rewrite of the state’s nondiscrimination laws to include disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
People Make the Difference

The above is a sampling of some of the legislation that the ACLU of Louisiana is keeping an eye on this session. Over one thousand bills have been pre-filed, and it’s impossible to identify all of them. We encourage our readers to follow the issues important to you and monitor legislation as it makes its way through the process. Take time to learn about bills that could have a direct impact on your community.

To search for other bills that might be of interest to you, just visit the Legislature’s website at www.legi­s.la.gov/legis/billsearch.aspx?sid=LAST. We also encourage you to contact your legislators and public officials regularly to express your opinion. Call them or send letters. And, for criminal justice issues we recommend that you include your local District Attorneys and Sheriffs. They are elected officials as well, they are answerable to the voters, and they are influential voices in the Legislature. If they don’t hear from you, they can’t know what you want them to do.

At the end of the day, it’s people who make the difference. So stay informed, get involved, and work for the changes you want to see. Louisiana deserves nothing less.

This article originally published in the March 17, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.