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Committee rejects two amendments but reports three juvenile sentencing bills to floor
Summary
The House Judiciary Committee debated three related juvenile sentencing bills (HB 4506, HB 4507, HB 4508). Two amendments offered by Representative Hope to HB 4506 failed; each of the three bills was reported to the House floor with the committee’s recommendation after roll calls.
The Michigan House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 20 debated a package of bills related to sentencing for young adults and reported House Bills 4506, 4507 and 4508 to the House floor with committee recommendations.
Representative Hope offered two amendments to HB 4506 that would have narrowed consecutive-sentencing provisions and adjusted minimum and maximum terms to match sentencing ranges already in place for 17- and 18‑year‑olds. On both amendments, the committee voted them down. The roll call on the first amendment showed 4 ayes and 7 nays; the second amendment likewise failed on a 4–7 vote.
When the committee moved HB 4506 with recommendation to the floor, the roll call recorded seven yes votes and four no votes; the clerk announced the bill was reported with recommendation. Representative Hope said she had moved the amendments “to limit the application of the consecutive sentencing … to just those juveniles or 19 and 20 year olds who have committed more than 1 first degree murder,” and later said the second amendment “puts the minimum and maximum sentences available in line with that, which is currently in place for 17 and 18 year olds.”
Committee cards read into the record showed opposition from Nicole Porter of The Sentencing Project and Paula Bowman of the League of Women Voters; both listed that they oppose HB 4506, HB 4507 and HB 4508 and did not wish to speak.
Representative Bagol moved HB 4507 with recommendation; a committee roll call again showed seven yes and four no votes and the bill was reported to the floor with recommendation. Representative Harris moved HB 4508 with recommendation; the committee roll call also recorded seven yes and four no votes and the bill was reported with recommendation.
The committee record shows votes by name during roll calls, and the clerk announced vote totals after each roll. No final floor actions were taken by the committee beyond reporting these bills with recommendation.
