The Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to meet this morning and consider S. 1789, a bill to equalize the sentences for drug possession of powder cocaine (a drug of choice for disproportionately wealthier and whiter Americans) and crack cocaine (a drug of choice for disproportionately poorer and browner Americans). At the last minute, however, this meeting was postponed until January of 2010.
For Americans eager to see less discrimination in drug sentencing, this news may be frustrating. However, it also presents an opportunity. Only a minority members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have cosponsored the legislation; if more support is not secured for S. 1789, the bill will not pass out of committee. The delay in the bill’s consideration gives concerned Americans more time to call Senators on the committee and urge the bill’s passage.
The following members of the Judiciary Committee have already indicated their support by cosponsoring S. 1789:
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) — principal sponsor
Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD)
Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI)
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)
Sen. Edward Kaufman (D-DE)
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
The following members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have not cosponsored S. 1789. Click through the links provided with their names to call their offices and express your citizen’s opinion regarding the bill:
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
If drug sentencing parity matters to you, click on your Senator’s name to get his or her phone number — then make a call to his or her office today. The Senate is adjourned, but Senators’ voice mail boxes are always open.
There has been alot of nothing about this bill. They can continue to postpone it because it doesn’t directly affect their lives unless you are one of the many who uses the drug and have not been caught. It has been proven that money talks while those using with money walk. We have left this issue up to a few people who don’t really care about the whole world just the one they live in. This is how congress do business. Look at some of the other bills that are getting top priority that affects those in the congress.People who murder or steal from clients have a better chance of seeing sun light before the little people who sell drugs because of their living situation. Is this fairness?, no but it doesn’t affect the users just the one being caught selling. The federal prison system have more conviction on drugs with longer sentencing then any other crime. Free those and reduce their lives sentencing to time served. You do it all the time when you release those off of death roll. If the crime wasn’t violent, how then do they receive so much time. Congress knows better but hate to admit fault. Pride is something else when you are wrong.
I think diane f. is a co-sponsor on this bill,if she isn’t i believe all the dems will vote with thier party and i don’t see why sessions and hatch wouldn’t, since they’ve introduced similar bills in the past. It may not be 1:1 r they may even lower powder some ,but they will fix the disparity in a way that anyone is charge with this crime ,that such small amounts(5g/50g)will not trigger man. min. sentences.Since congress didn’t stop the usscc from from lowering the ratio to 20:1(25G/250)in 2007 and making it retro in 2008 ,than it wouldn’t even be human for congress not to at least make it what they’ve already agree on by not doing anything to stop it in 2007.That alone would take those facing the 10 yrs to 5yrs and if u have a prior that ’20yrs to 10yrs and that a lot of time to b taken off the table if you r your loveone is facing the the time.Sessions said he looks forward to working with durbin and the other side of the aisle as long as it doesn’t hinder what we’ve already accomplished and that he won’t support anything that is a 50to 100% dropoff so to speak and we all know he’s there to represent repubs.
Dianne Feinstein is not a cosponsor of the legislation (check here). If you live in CA, give her a call.
This bill has been postpone for far too long. This disparity has gone on long enough. We beg each and everyone of you to PLEASE pass this bill so it will become law.