State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, last week filed a spate of bills aimed...

State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, last week filed a spate of bills aimed at reforming the state's criminal justice system. SB 223 would establish a Texas Innocence Commission to examine cases of wrongful conviction, search for the causes of those convictions, and recommend changes to prevent future cases of wrongful imprisonment. 
"The bottom line is [that] an Innocence Commission is good law enforcement," Ellis said. "It ensures the protection of the innocent and the conviction of the guilty."
Ellis has also added several bills that would offer aid to the wrongfully convicted - SB 227 would simplify the pardon process for exonerated defendants, and SB 225 would increase compensation available to the wrongfully convicted up to $50,000 per year for most exonerated inmates and $100,000 per year for inmates exonerated from death row.