SB 91-OMNIBUS CRIM LAW & PROCEDURE; CORRECTIONS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:25:45 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STOLTZE  called the committee  back to order.  He announced                                                               
the  consideration of  SB 91.  He noted  that the  intent was  to                                                               
present  a committee  substitute  (CS), but  additional time  was                                                               
required due to  the bill's complexity. He conceded  that being a                                                               
constructive-cynic,  he  had  non-pejorative  concerns  with  the                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COGHILL disclosed that the  proposed amendments for SB 91                                                               
would be presented  to the committee after  review by Legislative                                                               
Legal.  He disclosed  that  the  proposed amendments  encompassed                                                               
questions that the Office of  Victims' Rights brought forward, as                                                               
well  as a  new  concept  that addressed  drug  testing for  drug                                                               
offenders  in order  to retain  welfare. He  summarized that  the                                                               
amendments  dealt  with  cornerstone   issues  such  as  domestic                                                               
violence,  sexual assault  awareness, and  the victim's  right to                                                               
know what was going on.  He conceded that some incongruencies had                                                               
to be ironed out and protections  narrowed down a bit. He said to                                                               
be fair,  the commission had  a charge to  look at the  most cost                                                               
savings as well  as the best public safety and  they did the best                                                               
they could. He opined that  additional amendments being presented                                                               
that  dealt with  the handling  of misdemeanants,  probation, and                                                               
parole  would do  so fairly  well. He  commented that  additional                                                               
amendments would be presented when  the bill was in the Judiciary                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MCGUIRE  noted that three  committee members were  in the                                                               
Judiciary Committee  and would be up  to speed when the  bill was                                                               
addressed.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:31:26 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR COGHILL expressed  that Chair Stoltze had to  put up with                                                               
his petulance in trying to push the bill along.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STOLTZE said the bill had  a tighter timeline and was being                                                               
worked  on concurrently  in  both bodies  on  the various  fiscal                                                               
plans.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COGHILL  commented that the  House was watching  what the                                                               
committee was doing  and would probably take some of  the work to                                                               
heart. He  pointed out that 11  codes and court rules  were being                                                               
addressed,   a  massive   undertaking.  He   asserted  that   his                                                               
impatience was  related to  getting to the  "meat of  the issue,"                                                               
but conceded that time was required to work things out.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:33:17 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STOLTZE addressed a memo  to Mr. Steiner, [Quinlan Steiner,                                                               
Public Defender],  that critiqued  the Office of  Victims' Rights                                                               
previous  testimony.  He pointed  out  that  the Public  Defender                                                               
Agency represented a different constituency than victims.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COGHILL   noted  that   the  state   has  constitutional                                                               
provisions  that  deal  with  victims'  rights  as  well  as  the                                                               
correctional system.  He said the  intent was to try  and balance                                                               
between victims' rights and the correctional system.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STOLTZE commented that he was  not in love with the subject                                                               
matter, but conceded that the  committee would endeavor to do its                                                               
part to do the work as quickly as it can.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
[SB 91 was held in committee.]                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:35:56 AM                                                                                                                    
There being no further business to come before the committee,                                                                   
Chair Stoltze adjourned the Senate State Affairs Committee at                                                                   
9:35 a.m.