By Steven Allen Adams, The Intelligencer
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia House of Delegates approved a bill Monday to increase supervision of people convicted of certain drug crimes, but the Democratic minority called the bill a step backwards.
House Bill 2257, relating to extended supervision for certain drug offenders, passed 76-17 with all present Democratic House members voting no except for Del. Lisa Zukoff, D-Marshall, who voted with the Republican majority.
HB 2257 would require the sentencing court dealing with someone convicted of a second offense for selling or transporting fentanyl into West Virginia to enter into a period of supervised release up to 10 years beginning when released from jail or prison.
“They would come out of whatever the sentence was, they would come into parole and once parole was completed, the period of extended supervision — if it was a qualifying offense as listed out — would be no less than six months,” said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Moore Capito, R-Kanawha…
