Breaking: Georgia Democrats flip Republican state House seat in Athens area
Politics
Politics

House delays vote on sentencing legislation

By Bill Rankin
March 21, 2012

The House has delayed its vote on an overhaul of the state's criminal sentencing laws until Thursday.

House Bill 1176, approved Tuesday by the Special Joint Committee on Georgia Criminal Justice Reform, was expected to be considered Wednesday by the House. A top legislative priority of Gov. Nathan Deal, the bill would create new categories of punishment for various types of crimes, such as drug possession, burglary, theft, forgery and shoplifting, and it is intended to stem projected spending increases in prison spending.

About the Author

Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.

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