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Stitt lets wrongful‑conviction compensation bill become law but vetoes education and health benefits
Summary
Gov. Kevin Stitt said he allowed House Bill 2235 to take effect with a $50,000‑per‑year compensation cap for wrongfully convicted people but line‑item vetoed provisions for free health insurance and higher education benefits.
Gov. Kevin Stitt said he allowed House Bill 2235 to go into law while removing two benefit provisions, citing fiscal concerns.
During a press event, a reporter asked about HB 2235, which the questioner described as raising compensation for people wrongfully convicted. Stitt said the bill “increases it to 50,000 for every year that they were incarcerated.” He added that he had line‑item vetoed two portions that would have provided free health insurance and higher education benefits, saying he “just didn't feel like that was necessary to put legislatively appropriated funds for that.”
Stitt said the state bears responsibility when wrongful convictions occur: “If someone's wrongfully convicted and they've been they spent 30 years in in prison, then I think that they you know, if they if they if they could prove that.” He described a negotiated cap as reasonable, noting an earlier figure he recalled as “originally a hundred and 75,000” before it was set at $50,000 per year.
The governor did not provide legislative citations beyond the bill number referenced in questions, and he did not identify implementation mechanisms or an effective date at the event.
