Sentencing Guidelines Commission warns members to prepare for June as legislature nears May 18 deadline

Director Writes, the Sentencing Guidelines Commission director, told commissioners at their May 7 meeting that the legislature’s fast-moving session leaves “about 10 working days left” before the May 18 adjournment and that the commission must be prepared to make rapid ranking decisions at its June meeting if new or amended felonies pass.

The director reviewed several measures that could require guideline action. House File 2358 would enhance penalties for coercion when the coercion involves a threat to disseminate private sexual images (commonly described in testimony as a revenge-porn scenario); the director said the measure has passed both houses and is “just a signature away” from becoming law. House File 4075 would create a uniform firearm transfer and verification process for people who lose firearm rights because of conviction, a change staff said has “obvious sentencing guidelines implications.”

Director Writes also described Senate File 4067, a recently consolidated bill cleared by the Senate that—if enacted—would ban semi-automatic “military-style assault weapons,” high-capacity magazines (defined in the bill as magazines with 18 rounds or more), and ghost guns. Staff told commissioners these provisions would require ranking decisions if they become law.

The director identified a larger omnibus package (Senate File 4760 assembling provisions from House File 3990 and others) that is in conference committee. Staff summarized provisions under negotiation: enhanced penalties and new offenses such as a grooming offense, expanded penalties for police impersonation and doxxing (extending protections beyond police officers to correctional officers in a new felony tier), higher theft penalties when the victim is a vulnerable adult, and a new offense that would make it a felony to host or advertise prediction markets. "A lot of interesting things happen at conference committee," Director Writes said, and urged commissioners to monitor conference negotiations closely because "things that weren't in either bill sometimes just appear magically."

Staff advised commissioners to review meeting materials and the underlying bills before the June meeting. Director Writes said June will likely be one of the rare meetings that requires a quorum because the commission will need to decide whether to assign guideline rankings (or leave offenses unranked) for newly enacted or amended felonies so guideline effective dates can align with statutory effective dates.

What happens next: staff will continue daily monitoring through the conference committee and the legislature’s remaining days; the commission’s June meeting is expected to include time to consider rankings for any enacted changes.