Utah Sen. Mike Lee advocates for 'smart on crime' policies - KUTV 2News

FILE - This Dec. 19, 2016, file photo, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks during a news conference at the Utah State Capitol, in Salt Lake City, where Utah's attorney general said the state will sue if President Barack Obama names a new national monument in Utah. Obama designated two national monuments Wednesday, Dec. 28, at sites in Utah and Nevada that have become key flashpoints over use of public land in the U.S. West. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Sen. Mike Lee belongs to a new breed of Republican leaders who are falling into a trend.

The Deseret News reported Wednesday that Republicans at the state and federal levels like Lee are replacing decades of "tough on crime" policies with "smart on crime" alternatives that are showing results in the states and gaining traction in Washington.

Since his 2010 election, Lee promoted the story of a Salt Lake City man who was sentenced to 55 years in prison without parole for his first marijuana-dealing arrest. Reports say Lee was instrumental in Weldon Angelos' early release from federal prison.

Lee has continued to address over-criminalization and excessive sentence issues. In March, Lee and other senators discussed a reform with President Donald Trump's son in law Jared Kushner.

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Information from Deseret News.

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