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O’Malley won’t veto bill on parole decision time
O’Malley won’t veto bill on parole decision time
Listen to this articleANNAPOLIS — Gov. Martin O’Malley won’t veto a bill that limits the time Maryland’s governor gets to make a decision to grant parole for an inmate sentenced to life in prison.
O’Malley, a Democrat, announced Wednesday that he will allow the measure to become law, but without his signature. The bill requires the governor to make a decision in 180 days, if the state parole commission has recommended someone be paroled.
If the governor fails to act in that time, the inmate would be released.
O’Malley says he would rather the default provision result in the denial of a parole request, rather than approval.
Supporters of the bill have criticized O’Malley, who is in his second term, for never acting on parole recommendations for people with life sentences.
