Bills that Reduce Penalties, Narrow Offenses, or Repeal Offenses

Passed:

We testified in support of HB 158 Criminal Defamation Amendments, which repeals the class B misdemeanor offense of criminal defamation. This bill passed during the last week of the session.

S.B. 233 Medical Cannabis Amendments passed, removing two third degree felony offenses relating to obtaining and releasing information in the state electronic verification system and creating a class B misdemeanor offense for police officers who use the database to access information in the electronic verification system for a reason that is not the administration of criminal justice.

Failed:

We spoke in support of SB 128 Criminal Monetary Threshold Amendments several times, which sought to raise the monetary threshold amounts required for enhancement in many criminal offenses. This bill was aimed at adjusting for the cost of inflation, something that hasn’t been done in decades, and it was supported by defense and prosecution. Although law enforcement groups originally backed the bill, they changed their minds and opposed later in the session and the sponsor dropped the issue. We are hoping to work on this issue during the interim.