Prison Smuggling Bill Amended to Reduce Penalties

by Jack Lee

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance

Thanks to Sen. Loni Hancock-D from Berkeley Senate Bill 26 was forced to be amended yesterday. What would SB26 do? It was intended to impose stiff penalties on persons who smuggle into state prisons cellphones that are used to commit other crimes.

This is a major problem and in California alone over 11,000 smuggled cell phones were seized last year during random inmate searches.

Sen. Hancock threatened proponents she would let the bill die in her Public Safety committee which she chairs, unless they acceded to her amendments to reduce the penalties. They caved. It will soon be a misdemeanor to smuggle in cellphones to prisons.

By the way a smuggled cellphone goes for $1000 and business is booming, along with drugs and other contraband.

Sen. Hancock has spent most of her life getting fat by eating from the public trough. She’s famous for her environmental and animal rights activism. She was the director for US Department of Education, which many deem a worthless and wasteful organization. Prior to that she was the director of the ultra-liberal Shalan Foundation in San Francisco. They defined themselves as “providing grants to promote environmental balance and economic justice…yada yada” Prior to that she was director of the do nothing ACTION program under the US Department of Education. She was an assembly member and chaired the Assembly Subcommittee on Sexual Harassment before seeking higher office when she was termed out. She was the former Mayor Berkeley, and associated with various education boards before that. She’s had a rich and prosperous life taking your tax dollars.

And ya wonder why this state is in such bad shape? Just look at what voters keep electing. It’s disgusting.