Senate Passes Drug-Sentencing Reform Bill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The state Senate has approved a bill that would allow county prosecutors to charge lower-level, non-violent drug offenses as misdemeanors instead of felonies.

SB649 by Democratic Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco passed on a party-line 23-14 vote Thursday. Leno says his bill will reduce incarceration costs and give local governments the flexibility to send drug offenders to treatment.

Democrats say the Legislative Analyst's Office estimated the change would save $160 million annually while helping the state reduce its prison population.

Republicans warned that more lenient sentences will send the wrong message to drug offenders. Sen. Jim Nielsen of Gerber says offenders will "know they can walk away and skip treatment."

The bill, sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Drug Policy Alliance, now heads to the Assembly.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.