By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
Maryland legislators debated, voted and passed bill after bill during crossover day, the final day for bills to pass from their original chamber to the opposite one.
Credit: AFRO Photo/Tashi McQueen
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland’s Second Look Act (House Bill 853) was one of the big ticket items on the agenda on crossover day and eventually passed.
“This bill gives people the opportunity to make a petition to get a second look at their case,” said Del. Marlon Amprey (D-Md.-40), one of the bill sponsors, during a session on March 17.
The bill would allow for an individual to file a motion to reduce the duration of their sentence under certain circumstances. Those conditions include if the individual was convicted of an offense when they were at least 18 but no older than 25, was not sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and is not a sex offender.
Amprey emphasized that numerous “people who get a second chance do more than just give back to their own family” or turn their lives around.
“They often make it their life’s work to improve the communities in which they live,” he added.
The Second Look Act was met with much pushback from House Republicans, including House Minority Leader Del. Jason Buckel (R-Md.-1B), who proposed two amendments to the bill that failed.
Buckel argued that there should be more limitations on who can file for the reduced sentence option this bill would provide.
Buckel pressed that the Maryland General Assembly should not offer redemption to people who have murdered children, committed mass murders and “who would slay a pregnant woman simply because they’re pregnant and they don’t want to have the child.”
“We cannot offer them redemption,” said Buckel on March 17. “It is a higher power beyond ours to grant.”
The Second Look Act has been assigned to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and is awaiting a hearing.
Other notable bills that passed include Senate Bill 357, which aims to improve prescription drug affordability, and Senate Bill 342, which would protect minorities from voter dilution tactics within Maryland’s counties and municipalities.
During the evening of crossover day, a few difficulties with House chamber technology arose, briefly halting session activities. Still, the remaining bills on the House and Senate dockets were completed, and legislators head home around 8:30 p.m.
The final day for bills to be passed this session is April 7.
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