THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:

State Sen. Tom Harman’s bill to reform the appeals process in death penalty cases found no reprieve from the Assembly Public Safety Committee. The bill was executed this week by a 2-5 vote.

Senate Bill 315 would have sped up the appeals process for death row inmates in California by appointing an attorney to each defendant within a year.

“In its current form, California’s death penalty appeals process is more of a moratorium on execution than a system of judicial review,” Harman said. “When you’re a heartless killer, 25 years on death row isn’t punishment — it’s retirement. If it had taken five years before bringing Scott Peterson to trial, there would have been public outrage, but that is exactly what is happening at the appellate court.”

The bill gained the support of the California District Attorneys Assn. and Crime Victims United, an advocacy group for victims’ rights, but failed to gain enough support from lawmakers. Critics of the bill said it would force attorneys to take on cases involuntarily and clog up the legal system with poorly crafted appeals.

Harman claims it takes more than five years for most inmates to have a defense attorney appointed for their appeal after they are sentenced to death, causing inmates to sit on death row for years.

ROHRABACHER GIVES BANKRUPT VETS A BREAK

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill this week co-authored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher that gives National Guard members and Reservists a break from stricter bankruptcy laws.

The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which went into effect in 2005, makes it harder for individuals or married couples to file for bankruptcy protection. The federal overhaul was intended to prevent abuse of bankruptcy law.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill) and Rohrabacher teamed up on House Resolution 4044 to exempt National Guard members and Reservists who have served at least 90 days in Iraq or Afghanistan from the stricter bankruptcy standards. The bill was passed with bipartisan support via voice vote Monday.

“Our veterans leave their families and their jobs to go overseas to protect us,” Rohrabacher said in a written release. “The least we can do is protect them from the potential long-term economic hardship their service to our country may cause. That is what this bill is all about.”

National Guard members and Reservists serving in war zones would be subject to the old standards for bankruptcy protection under the bill for 540 months after returning from duty.

GENERAL MARCHES THROUGH COSTA MESA

A high-ranking retired United States general who has had a hand in shaping post-war Iraq is slated to march through Costa Mesa tonight for a talk on watching reconstruction in the war-torn country.

Maj. Gen. Rick Olson serves as the chief of staff and special advisor to the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction.

Olson began a one-year term in August 2006 as deputy director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office and Director of the National Coordination Team, which provides guidance and coordinates the activities of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq.

The event, hosted by the World Affairs Council of Orange County, begins with a reception 6 p.m. at the Hilton Costa Mesa Hotel, 3050 Bristol St. A dinner with remarks from Olson and a question-and-answer period will begin 7 p.m.

The dinner costs $50 for World Affairs Council members and is $65 for non-members. Student admission is $37. For information and reservations, call (949) 253-5751 or visit www.worldaffairscouncil.org.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at [email protected].