While the budget for the Department of Corrections has been expanding by 10 to 15 percent a year, the budget for K-12 education hasn't experienced any growth, when adjusted for inflation. SB 104 was introduced last year but was amended to exclude the moratorium in committee and then killed in the Senate. Rupert believes the bill has a better chance of passing this year now that supporters are armed with a revealing study on the detrimental effects of current drug sentencing. Donner is not as optimistic. We'll have a very good chance of getting the task force out of committee this way,' she said.
Nothing can happen without public support, though.
If the public can speak loudly and often enough, we can change the direction of the judicial department to a more rational, thoughtful policy,' said Donner. If over 150 supporters attend, the hearing will have to be held at the Supreme Court. A lot people of don't like Douglas Bruce, the anti-tax crusader who fought tooth and nail to tack the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights onto our state's constitution. The amendment caps state expenditure growth at 6 percent every year. And it compels the state to give excess revenue back to the taxpayers.