DENVER - Lawmakers have advanced a bill that would make a fourth DUI conviction a class-4 felony. The original proposal was amended after it became apparent how costly the measure would be for taxpayers. The new version cuts costs by a $1 million in the first year, and projections for three years out are down to $8 million, from $17 million.

Cynthia Thorstad, a volunteer transportation lobbyist with the League of Women Voters Colorado, has been hit twice by repeat offenders. She says more than money is at stake when people drink and drive.

"The reason it has bipartisan support, even though the fiscal impact is notable, is because families are impacted," says Thorstad. "Repeat offenders are a problem in Colorado."

The state projects that 1,700 people with three DUI's already on record will feel the impact of the new law. Penalties for driving under the influence already get tougher with each new conviction, but the first three still would be misdemeanors. A felony conviction on the fourth could mean 2-to-6 years behind bars.

State Rep. Beth McCann (D-Denver), co-sponsor of the bill, admits the new version is weaker than the original but maintains its purpose is to discourage drinking and driving. She said the bill also will give courts and prosecutors more options when dealing with repeat DUI offenders.

Thorstad says the law would send a clear signal about the consequences of continuing to drink and drive.

"To strengthen our message to not only repeat offenders but to the community in general that we are not going to continue tolerating this," she says.

The revised bill passed out of committee by a unanimous vote and seems likely to end up on the governor's desk if the legislature can find room in the budget.


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New data shows incarceration has ballooned in Kentucky's rural counties, and less populated regions are building more jails.

The findings come from an analysis of jail-offenses data by the nonprofit Prison Policy Initiative. Wanda Bertram, a communications strategist for the organization, said small towns and counties pour a huge amount of public resources into arrests for minor offenses. She added that those same counties are doubling down on policing and prosecution policies.

"Incarceration is a costly business," she said. "It is extremely destabilizing for people who go to jail, and it may or may not actually do anything to improve public safety."

The average county in Kentucky had about 12,000 people incarcerated in 2019. That number has decreased to around 10,000 in 2024, according to the Kentucky Association of Counties.

Across the country, Bertram said, most counties see jails as a place to hold people charged with low-level offenses or misdemeanors.

"Two thirds of people are being held on charges that did not involve physical violence against another person," she said.

According to federal data from 2023, 20% of people in jails were held for misdemeanors. According to the Jail Data Initiative, the actual number of people in jails that year for non-violent offenses is closer to 35%.


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More than 60 Pennsylvania counties do not have enough public defenders for their caseloads, forcing some, including in Erie County, to each handle more than 400 cases a year.

A report by Quattrone Center at the University of Pennsylvania said the state needs more than 1,200 full-time public defenders but has about 850.

Sara Jacobson, executive director of the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania, said the state was one of only two providing no funding for public defense but $7.5 million was allocated in the last two state budgets. Jacobson acknowledged it has helped, although spread across 67 counties, it is not enough to make real change in places like Erie County.

"Erie got in 2023-2024 a little over $102,000. The second appropriation: $106,723," Jacobson pointed out. "The problem is that when you add the cost of an attorney's salary and benefits, the money that's there is not enough when it gets divided up."

The report found Erie County would need 28 full-time attorneys to handle the large caseload but currently has nine full-time and eight part-time attorneys. At a recent news conference, Clinton County Commissioner Jeff Snyder said the state's allocation of funding for indigent defense would have to double, to $15 million a year to handle the growing need.

Jacobson noted heavy caseloads cause delays, both for public defenders and clients. She added prior to the pandemic, Erie County had top public defender pay but now, some attorneys are leaving for better-paying work in the Erie conflict office.

"Conflict Counsel in Erie County gets paid more and has a far lower caseload," Jacobson explained. "Every time someone leaves, their 400 or however many cases have to be distributed among the other lawyers. So those caseloads go up and the service to those clients goes down because of it."

Jacobson cited a Vanderbilt Law School study, which found each exoneration for a wrongful conviction costs a state $6.1 million. With at least 140 exonerations, it adds up to $856 million in costs for Pennsylvania.

Indiana lawmakers continue to debate THC rules while surrounding states move forward with marijuana legalization.

Senate Bill 478 targets packaging and branding rules for legal THC products sold to people 21 and older. Lawmakers want to prevent the products from mimicking candy or snacks, which might appeal to minors. The bill would require testing and stricter packaging for craft hemp flower and other THC items.

Rep. Jake Teshka, R-North Liberty, sponsored the bill.

"This market right now is the wild, wild West," Teshka contended. "I think what this bill attempts to do is to ensure that the safety of Hoosier youth and Hoosier consumers comes first and primary in our efforts to regulate this product."

Delta 8, Delta 9 and Delta 10 products-chemicals with THC levels under 0.3% remain legal in Indiana and often appear in gas stations, smoke shops and dispensaries. Committee members provided input for possible changes to the bill and recessed before acting but plan to reconvene soon.

Although marijuana sales remain illegal in Indiana, nearby states allow both recreational and medical use. Across the country, nearly 40 states allow medical marijuana and 24 permit recreational sales.

Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola, said in conference committee Monday the current bill offers far too many permits.

"In the future, if there are additional permits needed we could always come back and increase that number of permits," Wesco argued. "But the 20,000 is essentially more than 200 locations per county in our state on average, and I think is far too accessible and available."

The House has passed two amendments to the bill this session. One limits sales near schools and another changes the definition of e-liquids.


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