Legislator livid at House vote on parole issue
State Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-10th, wished a fitful night of sleep to his colleagues in the House of Representatives who voted against overturning the veto of a bill he introduced regarding parole for violent offenders.
Bernstine said in a news release Tuesday that the state House of Representatives failed by two votes to overturn Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto in September of House Bill 146.
The bill would have postponed consideration of a violent inmate’s parole an additional two years following the minimum release date for each conviction of a violent offense while incarcerated.
Bernstine’s bill also would have postponed consideration of a violent inmate’s parole an additional year if the inmate attempted to escape, smuggle contraband, or retaliate or intimidate witnesses while incarcerated.
Bernstine needed a two-thirds majority vote, or 134 affirmative votes, to override Wolf’s veto of the bill, but received 132.
Every house Republican voted yes to override the veto, but some Democrats who originally voted in favor of the bill voted ‘no’ on overriding the veto.
House Bill 146 was also known as “Markie’s Law” in memory of Markie Mason, 8, a Lawrence County boy who was stabbed to death in 2019 by a man who was paroled at the end of his minimum sentence for homicide although he had been convicted of two violent assaults of other inmates while in prison.
“I hope those who voted ‘no’ (on overturning the veto) can’t sleep at night,” said Bernstine. “This bill would have protected and served our Commonwealth’s residents in the future and would have saved Markie’s life.
“Harrisburg Democrats chose to let violent criminals walk freely among us today,” Bernstine said.
Bernstine vowed to continue the fight to get the bill passed in the state legislature.
“This is common sense legislation, and we will re-introduce this in the new 2023-24 session,” Bernstine said. “We must hold inmates accountable for their actions while incarcerated.”
