War on Drugs Heads Up: Sentencing Fairness Bill Up For Consideration on Christmas Eve
If you’re interested in federal policy regarding the “War on Drugs,” consider watching the Senate Judiciary Committee as it meets this Christmas Eve to consider S. 1789, at which time the committee will either send the bill to the floor of the Senate or kill it.
S. 1789, also called the Fair Sentencing Act of 2009, would end the current state of law, under which more draconian sentences are mandated for possession of crystal “crack” cocaine than for possession of cocaine in powdered form. It has escaped no one’s attention that crack cocaine is more often used by poor and non-white Americans, while powdered cocaine is more often used by well-off and white Americans.
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)
Unless some of the non-cosponsors of S. 1789 vote for its passage out of committee, it appears the sentencing parity bill will die on Wednesday.
Please vote in favor of correcting the mistake made 23 years ago on the war on drugs and the disparity of crack cocaine. We are violating the constitutional and civil rights of the american people. Please vote to END THIS TRAVESTY TO JUSTICE!
[...] Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to meet this morning and consider S. 1789, a bill to equalize the sentences for drug possession of [...]
[...] Christmas Eve 2009, the Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to meet in consideration of S. 1789, a bill to equalize the sentences for drug possession of powder [...]