Oregon politicians broke the law in setting convicted criminals free
In 2017, the Governor and the Legislature approved House Bill 3078 which reduced prison time 20% to 30% for Identity Thieves, Auto theft and Property crimes. Politicians blatantly broke the law by releasing criminals early in violation of the Oregon Constitution.
Voters put minimum sentencing rules in the Oregon Constitution for certain major crimes committed by repeat offenders. Lawmakers must get voter approval to make changes to the Constitution. The politicians ignored the Constitution when we they passed laws to supersede it.
The politician defended their actions in court by saying they had no choice but to violate the Constitution because there was not enough funds in the state budget to keep criminals in prison (despite Oregon ranking the 6th highest spending state in the nation per capita).
Have you been a victim of ID, auto or property theft?
Have you been a victim of any crime by a repeat offender?
Please tell us your story. The Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon is collecting real-life crime victims stories to showcase the problem and to help protect the Constitution. You can email us at [email protected] or call us 503-603-9009 with your story.
