Inside the Statehouse: Governor Little vetoes bill to compensate Idaho's wrongfully convicted

Governor Brad Little surprised many Idahoans Monday when he vetoed a widely-supported bill this week involving Idaho’s wrongfully convicted.

It’s one that we’ve been following closely for you: the Wrongful Conviction Act.

HE VETOED AWIDELY-SUPPORTEDBILL THIS WEEKINVOLVING IDAHO'SWRONGFULLYCONVICTED.IT'S ONE THAT WE'VEBEEN FOLLOWINGCLOSELY FOR YOU.TONIGHT OURMADELINE WHITESPEAKS TOCHRISTOPHER TAPP --THE EXONERATEDIDAHO FALLS MANWHO INSPIRED THELEGISLATION."AS WE PREVIOUSLYREPORTEDCHRISTOPHER TAPPSERVED 20 YEARS INPRISON.

FOR THE19-96 RAPE ANDMURDER OF IDAHOFALLS TEEN ANGIEDODGE -- BUT HEWAS LATEREXONERATED ANDRELEASED WHENDNA EVIDENCERULED HIM OUTINSTEAD POINTING TOA NEW SUSPECT WHOCURRENTLY AWAITSHIS TRIAL BEHINDBARS.

I CAUGHT UPWITH TAPP AFTERTHIS WEEK'S NEWSFROM THEGOVERNOR'SOFFICE.""WHEN I FIRST HEARDTHE NEWS IT WASDEVASTATING,HEARTBREAKING,YEAH, IT LI EVENNOW IT STILL BRINGSME ALMOSTLITERALLY TO TEARS."TAPP THOUGHT THISWOULD BE THEMOMENT WHEREPEOPLE FROM THESTATE WOULDFINALLY HEAR TOWHAT HE HAD TO SAY."THAT'S WHAT WEWANTED FOR ALLTHOSE YEARS WHENWE WEREWRONGFULLYCONVICTED INPRISON WAS JUSTTO BE HEARD."BUT ON MONDAYGOVERNOR LITTLEVETOED HOUSE BILL384.RICKS - "WE'RE ALLJUST KIND OF INSHOCK JUST REALLYSURPRISED."EVEN AFTER IT HADRECEIVEDWIDESPREADBIPARTISAN SUPPORTFROM LAWMAKERSTHROUGHOUT THELEGISLATIVESESSION.RICKS "I REALLYDIDN'T SEE THISCOMING ON THERADAR.

I THOUGHTWE WERE JUSTREALLY, CLEARSAILING, SINCE WEHAD SUCH A LARGESUPPORT FOR THISBILL IN THELEGISLATURE."IDAHO IS ONE OFJUST 15 STATES INTHE COUNTRY THATOFFERS NOCOMPENSATION TOTHE WRONGFULLYCONVICTED ONCETHEY'VE BEENRELEASED.

THIS BILWOULD HAVE GIVENTAPP 60 THOUSANDDOLLARS A YEAR FOREACH OF HIS 20YEARSINCARCERATED."WE WORKED ONTHIS VERY HARD, HADA LOT OF HELP FROMA LOT OF PEOPLE.""NOBODY REALLYHAD AN ISSUE, WEFIXED ALL THEWORDING THE AGHAD AN ISSUE WITH."THE GOVERNOR SAYSTHESE WERE HISISSUES WITH THEBILL."WE'RE NOT TALKINGABOUT A HOLE HOSTOF PEOPLE HERE,WE'RE TALKINGABOUT A VERYNARROW SCOPE"ONLY 4 IDAHOANSWOULD HAVE BEENELIGIBLE FORCOMPENSATION WITHTHIS BILL.

BUT TAPPSAYS THE SUPPORTTHAT HE DIDRECEIVE FROMLEGISLATORS ANDCITIZENS ALIKE INTHIS SESSION..

ISWHAT'S GIVING HIMHOPE FOR THEFUTURE."IT WAS TRULYDIFFERENT IT WASTRULY AMAZING TOHAVE THAT FEELINGTO TO BE KNOWNTHAT SOMEBODYWANTED TO HEARYOU."GOVERNOR LITTLECONCLUDED HISVETO STATEMENT BYWRITING THAT HEADMIRES THE INTENTOF THIS BILL ANDTHAT HE WILL WORKWITH THE SPONSORSTO QUOTE"HOPEFULLY RECTIFYTHESE ISSUES TOPRODUCE A BILL THATCREATES ANACCEPTABLEPROCESS FORQUICKLYCOMPENSATING THEWRONGFULLYCONVICTED" ENDQUOTE.

MADELINEWHITE.

6 ON YOURSIDE.