WJI's Daily Reads for Mar. 14, 2022

Wisconsin State Journal: Numbers don't back up special counsel's claims about nursing-home voters.

In his report to the Legislature, (Michael) Gableman claimed to have discovered that 100% of the registered voters in nursing homes in heavily Democratic Dane and Milwaukee counties, and in Racine County, home to the Democratic-leaning city of Racine, cast ballots in 2020. In Kenosha and Brown counties, home to the Democratic-leaning cities of Kenosha and Green Bay, the figures were 97% and 95% respectively.
While the videos certainly raise questions about the fitness of some of those who voted from Wisconsin nursing homes, the Wisconsin State Journal could find no evidence to support the claim that turnout in nursing homes was anywhere close to what Gableman claims.

WXOW: Governor Tony Evers gives prison staff a temporary raise.

Filter: Study shows disparities in federal life sentences for drug crimes.

Studying federal life and de facto life sentences for drugs in federal courts from 1990 to 2020, Dr. Fraga found stunningly awful racial disparities. Federal life sentences are practically reserved for defendants who are Black (62.4 percent) or Hispanic (22 percent). Crack cocaine was the drug involved in roughly half of federal life sentences, yet the disparities held independent of drug type.

In addition, many people were punished more harshly for wanting to exercise their constitutional rights. As Fraga writes, “An astonishing 72% percent of those sentenced to life or de facto life for drug trafficking exercised their right to trial.”

Reason: Compassionate release from federal custody surged during pandemic.

Wisconsin Public Radio (NPR): U.S. Justice Department to drop plea agreement provisions limiting compassionate release.

The Justice Department is directing prosecutors to stop limiting defendants' ability to seek compassionate release in most federal plea agreements, after advocates criticized the practice as cruel and against the intent of Congress.

DOJ officials handed down the order a month after an NPR story detailed the practice, which curtailed peoples' ability to petition for release from prison because of severe illness or other extraordinary circumstances. That story drew the attention of Attorney General Merrick Garland who this week said it seemed "wrong" and pledged to fix the issue.

Politico: Democrats' lack of progress on cannabis reform

On the brink of gaining control in Washington, Sen. Chuck Schumer said emphatically in 2020 that “I am going to do EVERYTHING I can to end the federal prohibition on marijuana” if Democrats took back the Senate.

But 14 months since winning, Senate Democrats haven’t even succeeded at changing the little things.
​
NBC News: Texas Supreme Court effectively ends challenge to abortion law by ruling that licensing officials have no role in enforcing the law---only private citizens do.