YaHooka Forums - View Single Post - Souder Illusion: Drug Sentencing Reform Ax

DdC · 11-21-2003, 03:59 AM

#722491 - Wed Nov 19 2003
DPA: Harsh Drug Bill Coming Soon To Congress

You've been with us all year as we have fought for more compassionate and less expensive drug policies - from fighting the RAVE Act to working to pass medical marijuana legislation that protects HIV/AIDS and Cancer patients.

Now, just before Congress goes out of session, one of the country's harshest drug war extremists, Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN), is about to introduce some of the scariest legislation we've seen this year.

Rep. Souder's bill increases penalties for many drug offenses and takes away the right of judges to show mercy when it's appropriate. The bill also enacts new draconian penalties that could sentence compassionate Americans that grow and provide medical marijuana to decades in federal prison.

Although it's titled the 'Drug Sentencing Reform Act,' this dangerous bill is all sentencing and no reform. It will destroy the lives of thousands more non-violent Americans.

We know that Rep. Souder wants to introduce his bill within the next couple of weeks and is asking for co-sponsorship from other Representatives. Make sure your Representative doesn't support this bill. Call NOW and tell your Representative not to co-sponsor Rep. Souder's Drug Sentencing Reform Act because it contains no reform and ties the hands of judges.

Actions to Take

1) CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE NOW!
To reach your representative by phone, call the US Capitol Switchboard at 1-800-839-5276 or call your representative's office directly by looking up the phone number on
http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/c...=352520&l=9389 .

Tell your Representative: "I'm a constituent and I'm calling to urge Rep. [Name] not to co-sponsor Rep. Souder's Drug Sentencing Reform Act, which he is about to introduce. The Drug Sentencing Reform Act contains no reform and ties the hands of judges. It will punish nonviolent Americans and compassionate citizens that provide patients with medical marijuana. I would like Rep. [Name] to tell me where s/he stands on this bill. S/he can send a letter to me at [Address] or an e-mail to [Address]. Thank you for your time."

2) Tell us what your Representative says.
Email us at ActionFeedback@drugp olicy.org

3) Forward this alert to your friends, family, and co-workers.

More Information

The so-called Drug Sentencing Reform Acthas yet to be introduced, but it will do the following:

** Tie the hands of judges by making it harder for them to reduce sentences for non-violent drug offenders. (It does this by expanding the so-called 'Feeney Amendment' to apply to drug offenses). This will mean longer sentences for non-violent offenses, with taxpayers like you picking up the cost!

** Mandates that most people on parole, probation or supervised release be subjected to random drug testing, even if their original offense had nothing to do with drugs. (If enacted, thousands of non-violent Americans could be sent to prison for years for smoking marijuana in the privacy of their own home and then failing a drug test.)

** Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to no longer allow lower sentences for non-violent drug offenders that have certain mitigating circumstances (such as being addicted to drugs) or for non-violent drug offenders that made a mistake and are otherwise good citizens.

** Enacts new draconian penalties for growing, distributing, and providing 'high-potency' marijuana to others, including medical marijuana - which often has a higher potency to better relieve the suffering of AIDS, Cancer, and other patients. If enacted, this provision will allow the federal government to send more medical marijuana patients and their caregivers to federal prison for years, in some cases decades.

** Read Rep. Souder's explanation of his bill

Rep. Mark Souder's Dear Colleague Letter in Support of Drug Sentencing Reform Act
Mark Souder. _NO STATE_. Vol. 0, No. 0. November 19, 2003.
Rep. Souder's letter asking other Representatives to co-sponsor his bill, the Drug Sentencing Reform Act - which increases penalties for many drug offenses, takes away the right of judges to show mercy when it’s appropriate and enacts new draconian marijuana penalties.

Our analysis is based on Souder's explanation and our discussions with congressional staffers.

souder
Incumbent Republican Party candidate for US Representative
from the 3rd Congressional District of Illinois.
souder@mail.house.go v

Souder on the Issues (Oct 1999)
Needle exchange - NO
Medicinal Marijuana - NO
Java script: 2 full quotes on Drugs
Java script: background on Drugs.

Our Education: Up in Smoke!

Excerpt: Few American endeavors of the past two decades have been as rife with cronyism, corruption, and moral hypocrisy as our failed and futile War on Drugs.

One can't just view it as a single issue. Directly or not, it affects every area of American life.

Take the Higher Education Act's 1998 drug provision, which potentially denies federal student financial aid to students convicted of drug offenses. Depending on their prior drug convictions and whether they've completed a lengthy drug rehab program by the aid application due date (for many, this is a logistic impossibility), students can lose their aid for up to two years after their last offense. Known alternatively as the Souder Amendment, after Mark Souder, its white, Bible thumping primary sponsor, the legislation stripped federal aid from more than 40,000 students last year -- aid that's often the make-or-break for economically disadvantaged students seeking a college education. And indications are that it'll get worse. Previously, applicants for aid could leave questions about drug use blank. Now, under the Bush-Cheney regime, all blank answers are the equivalent of answering "Yes," and all applications with them aren't even processed.

Drug Czar Selection Held Up, Souder SaysBy Sylvia A. Smith
Source: Journal Gazette August 03, 2001
Senate Democrats are holding up the appointment of a new drug czar, Rep. Mark Souder, R-4th, and several other House Republicans complained Thursday. "They don't want Walters. It's really not fair," Souder said of John Walters, President Bush's choice to run the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a post often called the drug czar.

11-21-2003, 03:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
DdC Decade Yahookan Join Date: Feb 1999 Location: Santa Cruz,CA,USA Posts: 2,088 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 47 Thanked 570 Times in 378 Posts	Souder Illusion: Drug Sentencing Reform Ax #722491 - Wed Nov 19 2003 DPA: Harsh Drug Bill Coming Soon To Congress You've been with us all year as we have fought for more compassionate and less expensive drug policies - from fighting the RAVE Act to working to pass medical marijuana legislation that protects HIV/AIDS and Cancer patients. Now, just before Congress goes out of session, one of the country's harshest drug war extremists, Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN), is about to introduce some of the scariest legislation we've seen this year. Rep. Souder's bill increases penalties for many drug offenses and takes away the right of judges to show mercy when it's appropriate. The bill also enacts new draconian penalties that could sentence compassionate Americans that grow and provide medical marijuana to decades in federal prison. Although it's titled the 'Drug Sentencing Reform Act,' this dangerous bill is all sentencing and no reform. It will destroy the lives of thousands more non-violent Americans. We know that Rep. Souder wants to introduce his bill within the next couple of weeks and is asking for co-sponsorship from other Representatives. Make sure your Representative doesn't support this bill. Call NOW and tell your Representative not to co-sponsor Rep. Souder's Drug Sentencing Reform Act because it contains no reform and ties the hands of judges. Actions to Take 1) CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE NOW! To reach your representative by phone, call the US Capitol Switchboard at 1-800-839-5276 or call your representative's office directly by looking up the phone number on http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/c...=352520&l=9389 . Tell your Representative: "I'm a constituent and I'm calling to urge Rep. [Name] not to co-sponsor Rep. Souder's Drug Sentencing Reform Act, which he is about to introduce. The Drug Sentencing Reform Act contains no reform and ties the hands of judges. It will punish nonviolent Americans and compassionate citizens that provide patients with medical marijuana. I would like Rep. [Name] to tell me where s/he stands on this bill. S/he can send a letter to me at [Address] or an e-mail to [Address]. Thank you for your time." 2) Tell us what your Representative says. Email us at ActionFeedback@drugp olicy.org 3) Forward this alert to your friends, family, and co-workers. More Information The so-called Drug Sentencing Reform Acthas yet to be introduced, but it will do the following: Tie the hands of judges by making it harder for them to reduce sentences for non-violent drug offenders. (It does this by expanding the so-called 'Feeney Amendment' to apply to drug offenses). This will mean longer sentences for non-violent offenses, with taxpayers like you picking up the cost! Mandates that most people on parole, probation or supervised release be subjected to random drug testing, even if their original offense had nothing to do with drugs. (If enacted, thousands of non-violent Americans could be sent to prison for years for smoking marijuana in the privacy of their own home and then failing a drug test.) Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to no longer allow lower sentences for non-violent drug offenders that have certain mitigating circumstances (such as being addicted to drugs) or for non-violent drug offenders that made a mistake and are otherwise good citizens. Enacts new draconian penalties for growing, distributing, and providing 'high-potency' marijuana to others, including medical marijuana - which often has a higher potency to better relieve the suffering of AIDS, Cancer, and other patients. If enacted, this provision will allow the federal government to send more medical marijuana patients and their caregivers to federal prison for years, in some cases decades. Read Rep. Souder's explanation of his bill Rep. Mark Souder's Dear Colleague Letter in Support of Drug Sentencing Reform Act Mark Souder. _NO STATE_. Vol. 0, No. 0. November 19, 2003. Rep. Souder's letter asking other Representatives to co-sponsor his bill, the Drug Sentencing Reform Act - which increases penalties for many drug offenses, takes away the right of judges to show mercy when it’s appropriate and enacts new draconian marijuana penalties. Our analysis is based on Souder's explanation and our discussions with congressional staffers.** souder Incumbent Republican Party candidate for US Representative from the 3rd Congressional District of Illinois. souder@mail.house.go v Souder on the Issues (Oct 1999) Needle exchange - NO Medicinal Marijuana - NO Java script: 2 full quotes on Drugs Java script: background on Drugs. Our Education: Up in Smoke! Excerpt: Few American endeavors of the past two decades have been as rife with cronyism, corruption, and moral hypocrisy as our failed and futile War on Drugs. One can't just view it as a single issue. Directly or not, it affects every area of American life. Take the Higher Education Act's 1998 drug provision, which potentially denies federal student financial aid to students convicted of drug offenses. Depending on their prior drug convictions and whether they've completed a lengthy drug rehab program by the aid application due date (for many, this is a logistic impossibility), students can lose their aid for up to two years after their last offense. Known alternatively as the Souder Amendment, after Mark Souder, its white, Bible thumping primary sponsor, the legislation stripped federal aid from more than 40,000 students last year -- aid that's often the make-or-break for economically disadvantaged students seeking a college education. And indications are that it'll get worse. Previously, applicants for aid could leave questions about drug use blank. Now, under the Bush-Cheney regime, all blank answers are the equivalent of answering "Yes," and all applications with them aren't even processed. Drug Czar Selection Held Up, Souder SaysBy Sylvia A. Smith Source: Journal Gazette August 03, 2001 Senate Democrats are holding up the appointment of a new drug czar, Rep. Mark Souder, R-4th, and several other House Republicans complained Thursday. "They don't want Walters. It's really not fair," Souder said of John Walters, President Bush's choice to run the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a post often called the drug czar.