Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Vetoes Major Criminal Justice Reform Bills

The Intercept
May. 24, 2015

Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., issued a press release on Friday declaring that he vetoed six pieces of legislation, including major reforms to Maryland criminal justice law.

The governor, who campaigned on a promise to limit government overreach to win his upset victory last November, vetoed legislation designed to rein in law enforcement abuse of power, including:
  • SB 517, legislation to remove the penalty for marijuana paraphernalia (and impose a civil fine of up to $500 for smoking marijuana in public).
  • SB 528, a bill to limit asset forfeiture seized by police and to prohibit seized property from being transferred to the federal government unless there is a federal criminal charge.
  • HB 980, a bill to allow felons to register to vote.
Notably, in his letters to legislators explaining his vetoes of the marijuana and asset forfeiture bills, Hogan said he was taking action at the request of Maryland police unions, including the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association and the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association.

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