Editorial: Reforming Public Safety

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Editorial: Reforming Public Safety

Whether it's health reform or overhauling Oregon's educational system, Gov. John Kitzhaber has a knack for juggling multiple initiatives without dropping any of the balls. On Monday, Kitzhaber made a key move that maintains momentum for yet another long-term goal: reforming the state's public safety system.

The governor reappointed his Oregon Commission on Public Safety, which last year recommended reforming the state's sentencing laws and increasing spending to bolster prevention and drive down recidivism.

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The commission will be assisted by the prestigious Pew Center on the States, which has worked with other states on public safety reform. The center agreed to help Oregon after receiving a request for assistance from not only the governor, but also the Senate President Peter Courtney; House Co-Speakers Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, and Bruce Hanna, R-Roseburg; and Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Balmer.

Read the full opinion editorial at registerguard.com

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