Posted on 06/04/2005 12:40:31 PM PDT by freepatriot32
At a press conference and Congressional briefing on Wednesday, May 25th, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) will introduce federal legislation that could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in federal law enforcement grants to local anti-drug task forces. The legislation, which is being co-sponsored by Representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Donald Payne (D-NJ), and Ed Towns (D-NY), would prohibit states from spending federal Byrne grants on regional narcotics task forces unless they adopt laws preventing people from being convicted of drug offenses when the only evidence against them is the uncorroborated testimony of a law enforcement officer or informant. States could still use the money for other activities, such as drug treatment and domestic violence prevention. Named after a small Texas town rocked by scandal, the “No More Tulia’s: Drug Law Enforcement Evidentiary Standards Improvement Act of 2005,” is the latest in a series of bi-partisan attacks on a federal grant program, known as the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program, that critics say is wasting taxpayer money and perpetuating police corruption and civil rights abuses.
“Congress needs to pass Representative Jackson Lee’s bill in order to prevent more innocent people from going to jail,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “Liberals and conservatives agree, the federal Byrne grant program is doing more harm than good.”
After dozens of people were falsely imprisoned for several years in Texas because of false allegations by one Byrne-funded undercover police officer, a coalition of Christian conservative state legislators including Rep. Rick Greens (R-Dripping Springs) and Rep. John Shields (R-San Antonio), and civil rights groups including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and ACLU of Texas, launched a campaign to change Texas law to prevent more innocent people from going to prison. In 2001, the Texas legislature outlawed drug convictions based solely on the testimony of an informant. The campaign to protect innocent people is now coming to Washington, with Rep. Jackson Lee’s legislation.
Numerous criminal justice reform and civil rights groups have signed a statement urging the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), to hold prompt hearings on the bill, including the ACLU, Drug Policy Alliance, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, NAACP, National Black Police Association, National Council of La Raza, and Open Society Policy Center. (Rep. Sensenbrenner pledged two years ago to hold hearings on the causes of the abuses in Tulia, but has yet to do so.) Five leading conservative groups have issued a sign-on letter urging Congress to support President Bush’s proposal to completely eliminate the Byrne grant program, because the program “has proved to be an ineffective and inefficient use of resources,” (the groups are American Conservative Union, Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens against Government Waste, and National Taxpayers Union).
WHAT: Press Conference on the introduction of the “No More Tulias: Drug Law
Enforcement Evidentiary Standards Improvement Act of 2005” by (followed by two short movies on corrupt anti-drug task forces)
"Five leading conservative groups have issued a sign-on letter urging Congress to support President Bush’s proposal to completely eliminate the Byrne grant program".
I am plumb stunned, shocked and amazed... Something that makes sense. One small step on the way to reining in the thugs!
Add me to your ping list please.
Rangel's welcoming of Castro to New York recently was probably a reflection of Rangel's urges to decriminalize criminals, to welcome in the new realm of drugs fer all!
I wouldn't be surprised, is all I'm saying, given the news in this article and Rangel's display of eager affections at seeing Castro on American soil.
Sorry, I think I may have misperceived the issue here.
It'll never pass, too many LEO's depend on that money to operate. Watch for opposition from the Faternal Order Of Police, among other groups.
you have been added to the list and ill update my freeper homepage to add your name momentarily welcome aboard.
The majority confessed. Those that didn't were tried in a court of law and found guilty by a jury of their peers.
No one, repeat, no one, was imprisoned due to false allegations.
Wel l by sheila( I can't e anyore stupid) Lee I guess all cops whould e denined witness status at trials. She has to be done of the dumest humans on eart,
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