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Lawmaker: Inmates with money should pay for jail time The Associated Press SALEM - Inmates with money would have to pay at least some of the cost of keeping themselves in prison under a bill gaining popularity in the Legislature. Oregon taxpayers pay about $65 a day to house each of the state's 10,600 inmates. "It's an accountability issue to taxpayers," said Sen. Rick Metsger, D-Welches, who sponsored the bill along with Sen. Peter Courtney, D-Salem. "You don't want to have those situations where you're giving someone (in prison) free health care while they have $200,000 sitting in their account because they killed their wife." The bill received a favorable hearing Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Clatsop County District Attorney Joshua Marquis told of a Deschutes County case involving a man convicted of criminally negligent homicide in the 1990 climbing death of his wife. Marquis said Randy Nolan Boyd, who served two years for her death, collected almost $200,000 in a life insurance settlement that the state couldn't touch. Metsger said another example is Lloyd Grundmeyer, a former Portland police officer serving 18 years for sex offenses while collecting a monthly disability check of $2,701.92 from the city. Portland voters in November barred such payments to future disability recipients who go to prison. The proposal, SB183, is supported by Gov. John Kitzhaber and the Department of Corrections. Corrections officials, however, said they want it amended to avoid having to run a costly search for assets held by each convict entering the system. Visit our back issue library Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Western Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing