If the recent shooting outside the Capitol isn’t the wake-up call Democrats need, what is?

The Sacramento Bee just had a great writeup of Republicans’ call for tougher sentences for gun and gang crimes, an end to California’s expanded early release program and stiffer penalties for felons in possession of a firearm.

Thanks to California’s overly generous early release program, Sacramento shooting suspect Smiley Martin was out of prison after serving less than half of his 10-year sentence for brutally assaulting his girlfriend. 

It’s time to start putting victims first. Dangerous felons need to be held accountable and Californians deserve to feel safe in their communities.

As Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher declared, “Overwhelmingly, these deadly shootings have a common thread. A person who is already known to law enforcement, who shouldn’t be on the street, who shouldn’t have a gun….it has to stop. We must address this problem head on.”

Enough is enough. It’s time to end the expanded early release program to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.