A photo of Marsy Nicholas, the namesake for victim rights legislation that has passed in several states, sits against a chair during a 2013 rally in Santa Ana, Calif. Nicholas was killed in 1983.
Bret Hartman / AP Images for Marsy'sLawForAll.org
A photo of Marsy Nicholas, the namesake for victim rights legislation that has passed in several states, sits against a chair during a 2013 rally in Santa Ana, Calif. Nicholas was killed in 1983.
Bret Hartman / AP Images for Marsy'sLawForAll.org
Voters will decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment that backers say would grant victims constitutionally protected rights on par with the rights that defendants have. Mark Scolforo of The Associated Press has the details on the latest developments, including a unanimous Senate vote Wednesday.
In April, State of the State host Katie Meyer took a deep look at the issue. “Marsy’s Law does nothing — absolutely nothing — to take a right away from the defendant,” Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland County, told Katie. “All it does is allow the victim to have a role.”
Katie also looked at the opposition to the changes, including from the ACLU of Pennsylvania. In an April memo, the group’s legislative director, Elizabeth Randol, said a constitutional amendment isn’t flexible, so it would be difficult to change if there are unforeseen consequences. Randol also said parts of the legislation “are dangerously broad or vaguely worded” — and will likely conflict with due process rights of defendants.
Philadelphia is experiencing a rise in homicides, The Associated Press reports. WHYY reported on Monday that there were 19 shooting incidents this weekend, including at a graduation party. And Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner says his reform approach is not to blame, WHYY’s Tom MacDonald reports.
StateImpact Pennsylvania’s Marie Cusick looks at parallel efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania. One involves a reported request from Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration to the Republican-led legislature, while the other involves a citizen-led climate petition.
The new owners of The Reading Eagle plan to lay off 81 of the newspaper’s 221 employees, The Associated Press reports, citing a filing with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
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