Steve Stockman on Crime Former Republican Representative (TX-9)

Admits being jailed in 1970s, but suing group for saying so

"I may have been in jail a couple of times, two or three times," he told this newspaper. As for the felony charge, that stemmed from the time his girlfriend hid three Valium tablets in his underpants when he was reporting for a weekend in jail. "When they found that they charged me with a felony," he told the Houston Chronicle. Those interviews were back in 1995, during Stockman's first 2-year stint in Congress.

Stockman announced that he has filed a libel lawsuit in Houston against Texans for a Conservative Majority, a political action committee funded and run by Cornyn supporters. Its website, ShadyStockman.com, includes the line: "He has been jailed more than once, and was charge with a felony after one such incident when authorities found Valium in his pants."

Voted YES on maintaining right of habeas corpus in Death Penalty Appeals.

Voted YES on making federal death penalty appeals harder.

Rated 38% by the NAPO, indicating a police-the-police stance.

Ratings by the National Association of Police Organizations indicate support or opposition to issues of importance to police and crime. The organization's self-description: "The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) is a coalition of police units and associations from across the United States. NAPO was organized for the purpose of advancing the interests of America's law enforcement officers through legislative advocacy, political action, and education.

"Increasingly, the rights and interests of law enforcement officers have been the subject of legislative, executive, and judicial action in the nation’s capital. NAPO works to influence the course of national affairs where law enforcement interests are concerned. The following list includes examples of NAPO’s accomplishments:

• Enactment of the Fair Sentencing Act
• Enactment of the National AMBER Alert Act
• Enactment of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
• Enactment of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act
• Enactment of the Law Enforcement Officers' Safety Act (Right to Carry Legislation)

VoteMatch scoring for the NAPO ratings is as follows:

• 0%-50%: soft on crime and police issues;
• 50%-75%: mixed record on crime and police issues;
• 75%-100%: tough on crime and police issues.

More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty.

[As part of the Contract with America, within 100 days we pledge to bring to the House Floor the following bill]:

The Taking Back Our Streets Act:
An anti-crime package including stronger truth in sentencing, “good faith” exclusionary rule exemptions, effective death penalty provisions, and cuts in social spending from this summer’s crime bill to fund prison construction and additional law enforcement to keep people secure in their neighborhoods and kids safe in their schools.

Megan's Law: public list of sexually violent offenders.

Megan's Law - Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to require the release of relevant information to protect the public from sexually violent offenders:

• require (current law authorizes) State and local law enforcement agencies to release relevant information that is necessary to protect the public concerning persons required to register under the Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act; and
• provide that any information collected under such a program may be disclosed for any purpose permitted under the laws of the State.
• Legislative Outcome: Became Public Law No: 104-145