There is legislation in the U.S Congress that would provide for forgiveness of designated government loans for prosecutors and public defenders. If passed, and actually funded, the bills would pay $10,000 per year and up to a total of $60,000. You must commit to 3 years employment and can extend it thereafter. The U.S.Senate Committee on the Judiciary passed S.B.442 out of committee and it is back on the floor waiting for a full vote. The U.S. House of Representatives has referred an identical bill, H.B.916, to the Committee on the Judiciary. It is probably going to be scheduled for a hearing in the coming weeks.

I urge you all to read either bill and then call, write or email our Senators and your Representative. I know that Senator Dick Durbin (IL-Dem), bill sponsor, would love to have our Senators on board as co-sponsors. On the House side, there are presently NO Texas Representatives on the list of 44 co-sponsors. That is embarassing when the great state of Texas has a total of 32 Represenatives!

I understand that there may be an issue as to actually finding the money to appropriate the bill. I think it is more important to get the bill passed and then work on the funding. You may not be aware but U.S Attorneys have a loan forgiveness program in place. Why not us?

You can read S.B442 at the following site: Library of Congress. It also provides the link to H.B.916. Again, call, write or email our Senators and your Represenatives urging their support of these bills.

JAMIE

So can US Attorneys really commit to 3 years of service in view of recent firings...

I know that this type of legislation would promote a larger pool of applicants for prosecution/public defenders. I wrote my senator an email to that effect (the Senator will remain nameless), and asked that person to support the proposed legislation (this was some months ago when I learned of it). The Senator was nice enough to reply by letter thanking me for my concern about TEACHERS LOAN FORGIVENESS. I don't know that our Senators are listening.

Not to sound callus but that is their problem. My focus is on my fellow state prosecutors and myself, of course.

Rebecca:

Glad to know our Senators are paying attention! I hope it was not our Senator that happens to be a member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary!

I'll never tell, just LOL

The companion bill to S.B. 442, H.R. 916, is set to be argued on the floor of the House tomorrow. I urge everybody to take 5 minutes today and call or email your respective Representative to support this bill. As of today, there are only 2 out of 32 Representatives signed on as cosponsors!

I know it's not much, coming from a simple you-know-what player, but:

I forgive you.

I forgive you too, AP.

Fear not, A.P.! To err is human; to forgive, divine. But to play banjo and bass, both quite well, makes you cool, no matter what the cosmopolitan set may say. And I say let's roll drummers, guitar players, keyboardists and singers into the mix.

Signed,
Your Friend who Unflinchingly Admires your Steadfast Adherence to Entrance and Exit Protocols

Alright girls, you're getting a little slobbery. I'm gettin' all choked up. Tell you what, let's meet at the practice labs on Oltorff and forgive each other with some Mustang Sally. I wonder if we'll forive the other Scott, the loud and raucous one.

I even forgive Scotty D. For what, I do not know. But all is forgiven.