Pubdate: Fri, 15 Apr 2005
Source: Janesville Gazette (WI)
Copyright: 2005 Bliss Communications, Inc
Contact: http://www.gazetteextra.com/lettereditor.html
Website: http://www.gazetteextra.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1356
Author: Chris Schultz

DRUG LEGISLATION MOVES TO ASSEMBLY

MADISON-The state Senate took action Thursday to approve a bill allowing all
counties to enforce ordinances against the manufacture and possession of
drug paraphernalia and possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana.

The measure, authored and introduced by Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, now
goes to the state Assembly.

Kedzie said he wrote the bill at the request of the Walworth County
Sheriff's Department, which asked for the bill in part because of the number
of drug arrests each year during concerts at Alpine Valley Music Theatre.

"Alpine Valley is in the town of Troy, and they don't have a police
department," Kedzie said. "(Sheriff's deputies) have to use a state statute
system (to make paraphernalia and drug arrests), which is more paperwork."
The new bill would allow the county to consolidate booking and prosecution
efforts, Kedzie said.

Kedzie said his bill is patterned after a similar bill passed last session
that gave Milwaukee County authority to prohibit the possession, manufacture
or delivery of drug paraphernalia and possession of small amounts of
marijuana.

In the past, only cities, villages and towns with police departments could
directly prohibit paraphernalia and marijuana possession under 25 grams by
ordinance. That complicated the jobs of county sheriff's deputies, who could
make paraphernalia and small possession arrests only under authority of the
local municipality or by state statute, Kedzie said.

"I was told by (Walworth County Sheriff) David Graves that if the bill is
signed into law, Walworth County would be able to write 300 to 500 tickets
for paraphernalia and 500 to 800 marijuana tickets a year," Kedzie said.

Kedzie said it's just common sense to give sheriff's departments statewide
the ability to enforce local paraphernalia and possession laws.

"Why we wouldn't have thought to allow law enforcement, through the county
sheriffs' departments, to have this tool at their disposal just doesn't make
sense," Kedzie said.

Kedzie said he doesn't know when the Assembly will wrap up action on its
version of SB21 and have it ready for Gov. Jim Doyle's signature. He said he
doesn't expect any problems in getting the new law enacted.

"It would be nice to have this ready for the Alpine Valley season," Kedzie
said. 
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MAP posted-by: Josh