Good News! Good News!

I just spoke with a member of the House Judiciary Committee and I was informed that HB214 the bill that would allow those who have drug convictions to be eligible for food stamps and TANF passed overwhelmingly out of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. This is EXCELLENT news and a huge step in the right direction. Many, many thanks to all of you who wrote, called or visited the committee and urged them to pass this bill. GOOD JOB FOLKS!!

Also, Rep. Mac Gipson's bill HB194 which would allow the county sheriff in any Alabama county to stand down the feds at the county line also passed out of Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Again, thanks to those of you who wrote, called or visited on behalf of this bill.

I have to say that the House Judiciary Committee is off to a great start this session. Here's hoping they keep it up throughout the session.

Contact Judiciary Committee on HB214

I've just sent the following letter to the members of the House Judiciary Committee regarding HB214, a bill that would allow those convicted of drug felonies to be eligible for food stamps and TANF when they get out of prison. Please take a moment and send one of your own or copy and paste mine if you like. Email addresses are below the letter. This bill is coming up in the Judiciary Committee tomorrow (Wednesday) so please write TODAY!

Dear Member of the House Judiciary Committee,

I am writing today to ask for your support of HB214, which would allow those convicted of felony drug charges, who have served their time in prison, to be eligible for food stamps and TANF. Currently, under federal law, those convicted of drug offenses are the only persons denied food assistance. Child molesters, murderers and rapists are eligible for food assistance upon release from prison but not someone whose crime involved taking a substance and not harming anyone else in the process.

When the laws keep people starving it raises the chances that they will resort to crime to in order to simply survive. If that happens they will go back to prison where it will cost taxpayers far more to house them for one year than it would have if we had enabled them to eat to begin with. This law also adversely affects children. Children have no control over what their parents might do, but under current law, they too, are denied food if their parents can't get state assistance while they struggle with reentry and readjustment to society after spending time in prison.

Please do the compassionate, humane, Christian thing and pass this bill.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Loretta Nall

camjulward@aol.com
cengland1@hotmail.com,
jamie.ison@alhouse.org,
howard.sanderford@alhouse.org,
yusuf.salaam@alhouse.org,
spencer.collier@alhouse.org,
marcel.black@alhouse.org,
laura.hall@alhouse.org,
paul.demarco@alhouse.org,
priscilla.dunn@alhouse.org,
Tammy.Irons@alhouse.org,
marc.keahey@alhouse.org,
steve.mcmillan@alhouse.org,
charles.newton@alhouse.org,
john.robinson@alhouse.org

A bill to support this session

Here is an excellent bill that is up for consideration during this legislative session. Please get involved to ensure its passage.

HB214 sponsored by Rep. Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa).

HB214 would allow the state to opt out of the federal law which dictates that those convicted of felony drug offenses are not eligible for food assistance from the state government.

I've have wanted to see a bill that addresses this issue for years. Drug offenders are the only citizens that this law applies to. A child molester can get food stamps as can a murderer etc..Drug offenders also aren't eligible for public housing.

When the laws keep people homeless and starving it raises the chances that they will resort to crime to in order to simply survive.

You know for a former prosecutor, Rep. England is turning out to be an excellent legislator! Please keep up the amazing work Rep. England!

I'm just now beginning to sort through the massive amount of legislation for this session. Stay tuned for a post detailing the good stuff to support and the bad stuff to kill.