Pubdate: Fri, 06 Mar 2009 Source: Times Union (Albany, NY) Copyright: 2009 Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation Contact: http://www.timesunion.com/forms/emaileditor.asp Website: http://www.timesunion.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/452 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?140 (Rockefeller Drug Laws) SENATE DEMS WILL ROLL DRUG LAW REFORMS INTO BUDGET PROPOSAL Majority Calls Rockefeller Rollback A 'Budgetary And Economic Issue' ALBANY - The state Senate's Democratic majority will attempt to find a politically feasible path for supporting the reform of the Rockefeller drug laws by rolling the measure into their larger budget proposal. The state Assembly on Wednesday passed reform of the 35-year-old drug laws, which have for almost as long been assailed by critics as draconian. But the thin two-seat Democratic margin in the Senate makes the legislation's prospects in that chamber more politically perilous. Placing the reforms in the larger budget bill could give Democrats a degree of cover in voting for the measure, which many Republicans oppose as a law-and-order issue. In a statement released Friday morning, the Senate leadership argues that drug law reform "is as much a budgetary and economic issue as it is a sentencing issue." The release notes that "the Senate intends to include the key provisions of Rockefeller Drug Law reform in our upcoming budget resolution to ensure that: There is adequate funding for treatment facilities; We invest in communities that currently house non-violent offenders who will instead enter drug treatment facilities to mitigate any economic impact and diversify the local economy with new economic development initiatives; We secure additional funding for counties that incur additional costs because of local treatment and incarceration requirements. The proposed Executive Budget cuts back on funding for local probation-we will restore those funds to protect local municipalities from another unfunded mandate; and Expand judicial discretion to ensure that judges can make informed sentencing decisions." To read the full Senate majority release, visit the Capitol Confidential blog. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin