Dems try to weaken mandatory minimum sentences
By Terry Murry on Monday, March 27th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
SALEM – Democrats are once again trying to weaken the voter-approved Measure 11, which sets forth mandatory minimum sentences for those convicted of major crimes. Two such bills are being vetted by the Senate Committee on Judiciary.
Senate Bill 1027 allows the Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision to change the mandatory minimum sentence for someone convicted of murder or aggravated murder to life with the possibility of parole, work release, or release to post-prison supervision. Measure 11 requires those convicted of murder or aggravated murder to be sentenced to life without parole. It will be the topic of a work session on April 3.
Senate Bill 320 would allow anyone serving a mandatory minimum sentence for crimes other than murder who has not been convicted of another Measure 11 crime to become eligible for a sentence reduction. A public hearing is set for that at 1 p.m. April 3.
Measure 11 passed by a large margin in 1994, setting mandatory minimum sentences for a long list of crimes including aggravated murder, first-degree rape, first-degree assault, attempted murder, and pornographic exploitation of a child. Anyone charged with one of those crimes age 15 or older is required to be tried as an adult.
Ballot Measure 10 also passed in 1994. It allows the Oregon Legislature to make changes to Measure 11, but it must be by a 2/3 vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This session, the super majority held in the past by Democrats does not exist.
