On top of money in the new economic stimulus law, state and local anticrime programs may get another big boost in the delayed appropriations bill for the federal government in the current fiscal year. Congressional Democrats yesterday included $550 million for the COPS office and $532 million for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program in what Politico.com says is a $410 billion spending bill that will serve as a benchmark for the Obama administration's 2010 plan, due Thursday.
The Democrats’ plan also includes $178.5 million of earmarked anticrime grants, $30 million ofor “competitive” grants, $40 million for drug courts, $25 million for Indian tribes, $190 million for violence against women grants, $130 million for juvenile justice grants, and $25 million for offender re-entry. There also is an esimated $365 million for state victim assistance grants, says Steve Derene of the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators. Politico. com says the overall bill adds $20.5 billion to former President George W. Bush's domestic spending requests for the current budget year ending Sept. 30. 2008. Republicans ridiculed the measure as “the cherry on top of the stimulus sundae.”