HARTFORD, Conn. – Politics played a role in the late-night demise of legislation to reconsider the prison sentences of juvenile offenders, Senate leaders acknowledged Thursday.
The bill, which sought to bring Connecticut in line with U.S. Supreme Court rulings on punishments meted out to juvenile offenders, died on the state Senate calendar at the end of the legislative session Wednesday for the second year in a row.
The legislation would have given inmates serving lengthy prison terms for crimes they committed as teenagers an opportunity to make a case for a shorter sentence to a parole board.
Although it was approved with bipartisan support in the House, Senate Republicans attached more than 20 amendments to the bill that would have forced Senate Democrats to take up or down votes on sensitive issues like legalizing the death penalty for terrorists or people who murder children on school property.
See the complete story at CT News Junkie.
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