March 24, 2021 10:40 a.m.

Some Republicans say proposed legislation would “go soft” on violent criminals by reducing sentences.

A release from the office of Oregon Senate Republicans said Senate Bill 401 would gut Measure 11. The release said under the guise of “criminal justice reform”, SB 401 would allow rapists, attempted murderers, child pornographers and kidnappers to get up to 40 percent off their sentences.

Senate Republicans say recent polling shows that a strong majority of Oregonians support maintaining or increasing sentencing requirements for violent offenders like rapists and murderers. The release claims that 78 percent of Oregon voters also oppose repealing Measure 11, which they say SB 401 effectively does.

Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod said, “This is a perfect example of the Democratic supermajority’s extreme disregard for bipartisanship and consensus-building”. Girod said reasonable criminal justice reforms are possible, “…but instead Democrats opt to take the extreme position that rapists, kidnappers and child abusers should be given lesser penalties”.

Vice-Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Kim Thatcher, said that gutting Measure 11 would make communities less safe. Thatcher said Measure 11, “…guarantees that those who prey on kids and assault our neighbors get time in prison they deserve”.

The Chief Sponsor of SB 401 is State Senator Floyd Prozanski, a Eugene Democrat who represents parts of Lane and Douglas counties.