93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
Missouri is getting tougher on crime.
Governor Parson signed a bill this week raising the minimum sentences for some violent felonies. People convicted of armed criminal action, for example, would have to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.
State Rep. Nick Schroer, who sponsored the House version of the bill, says on The Mike Ferguson Show he expects more tough-on-crime measures to come up later this year.
“I think ultimately this is the first step, a good first step, in the right direction,” Schroer said. “But we do definitely need to come back for a special session to address some of the issues that were not included in this great piece of legislation.”
Opponents say bills like this lead to people unfairly spending lots of time in prison, especially minorities. Schroer says he supports reducing sentences for non-violent offenders.
“We’re targeting people that committed these heinous acts of firearms. These are the most violent and habitual offenders that we are trying to target to ensure that they’re off of our streets.”
