COLUMBUS, Ohio An influential coalition is again backing an Ohio criminal-sentencing reform bill, after state lawmakers undid changes that caused the coalition to drop their support in the first place.

Ohio officials for Americans for Prosperity and the ACLU said Tuesday theyre again supporting Senate Bill 3, which would reclassify many felony drug possession crimes as misdemeanors.

State senators amended SB3 last Wednesday, folding in elements of another bill that toughens penalties on people convicted of drug trafficking within 1,000 feet of a drug-treatment center. The move was meant in part to attract support from law-enforcement groups who oppose SB3. But in doing so, they prompted ACLU and the AFP to publicly drop their support, with other affiliated groups raising concerns more privately. They feared it would put more people behind bars, and disproportionately impact people in urban areas, contrary to the intent of the law.

So, the Senate Judiciary Committee removed the amendments on Tuesday.

I think it makes sense for everybody to consider these issues separately, and now we can do that again, said Gary Daniels, an ACLU lobbyist in Ohio.

Micah Derry, Ohio director for AFP, said his group still has concerns with other changes to the bill, but is back on board.

Hopefully the committee will pass the bill quickly upon return in 2020 as families continue to be damaged as their loved ones are often sentenced more harshly than an individuals crimes warrant, he said.

Senate President Larry Obhof told reporters separating the bills allowed legislators to consider the issues separately.

I thought it made more sense to let that bill follow its own path, he said.

The AFP and ACLU are part of the backbone of the left-right political coalition that has pushed for policy changes in recent years in Ohio, shifting the state away from a War on Drugs approach toward one that emphasizes treatment and rehabilitation.

SB3s backers say the legislation will help reduce Ohios prison population and help people with drug problems more effectively get their lives back on track.

Opponents, including law enforcement groups and judges, saying say it would eliminate options used to investigate drug crimes and to dont need to force addicts to be accountable to court-mandated treatment programs.

The bill is a top priority by Senate President Larry Obhof, a Republican. Hes said he plans to send the bill to a vote from the full Senate in the new year.

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Link:

Key groups back in the fold on Ohio criminal sentencing reform bill after amendments removed - cleveland.com