LEGISLATIVE REPORT Jim Drennan, June 2004

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LEGISLATIVE REPORTJim Drennan, June 2004

• "No man's life, liberty or fortune is safe while
  our legislature is in session." Benjamin
  Franklin

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Legislative Report

• NOTHING I SAY IS FINALLIKE LIFE, ITS ALL PENDING
• Budget Session
• Split evenly
• Primary season yet to come
• Resultlots of bills, not much action, YET, but
  as session end draws near, the leaders come out
  to play

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Areas of Possible Criminal Legislation

• Methamphetamine penalties (S 1054, H 1510, 1512,
  1536, 1537)
• Domestic violence (H 1354)
• Post release supervision (S 1124)
• Sex offender registration notice (H 1479)
• Open file discovery (H 1799, 1800, S 1403)
• Prosecutions (Truth Commission, district
  monitoring committee, death penalty study)

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Other Areas

• Malpractice/civil justice reform (S 802)
• Jurisdictional changes (S 577)
• Mental health treatment courts (H 1414-budget)
• Pilot remote testimony by SBI (H 1414)
• Crime victims recovery from defendants assets (H
  1519) no expunction without restitution (H 1518)
• Death penalty moratorium (S 972)
• Campaign finance funding shortfall

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Legislative Quotes

• From the Lone Star State
• I can explain it for you, but I cant understand
  it for you
• Lets do this in one foul sweep.
• From the great state of Louisiana
• "This amendment does more damage than it does
  harm.
• "I don't know anyone here that's been killed with
  a handgun.

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From the Masters

• From Will Rogers Everyone is ignorant, only on
  different subjects.
• From Mark Twain "What if you were an idiot, and
  what if you were a member of Congress? But I
  repeat myself."

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Other Matters

• Tennessee v. Lane (decided May 17, 2004)
• State has no 11th amendment immunity from suits
  under Title II of ADA, where subject of complaint
  is lack of access to court facilities
• Authority derived from 14th amendment
  implications for defining d/p rights to access to
  courts?
• Check 21 (aka check truncation)effective Oct.
  28, 2004
• Fed Reserve changechecks no longer have to be
  retained by bankthey may use substitute checks
  which are electronic images of paper checks

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A word about ethics

• Always do rightthis will gratify some and
  astonish the rest. Mark Twain
• Aim above morality. Be not simply good be good
  for something. Henry David Thoreau
• Remember, people will judge you by your actions,
  not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold
  but so does a hard-boiled egg. Anon.