Lawmaker support strong for expanding drug therapy

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

A strong majority of lawmakers support expanding state treatment programs for drug abuse and building a new correctional treatment facility in Hawai'i.

But as the 2004 legislative session begins this week, it's unclear whether financial and political concerns will continue to hinder those efforts.

The Advertiser's annual legislative survey asked Hawai'i's 76 state representatives and senators their opinions on 21 issues ranging from taxes and crime to education and campaign contributions.

The 56 Democrats and 20 Republicans are gearing up for the 60-day session that opens Wednesday. The session is scheduled to recess on May 6, with all representatives and half the Senate up for election this year.

Nearly every lawmaker who responded to the survey expressed support for increasing state-financed treatment programs for drug abuse, which is not surprising given the intense focus on crystal methamphetamine in recent months.

But the obvious question to be debated this session is how much the state should pay for more treatment programs.

A House-Senate task force that studied crystal meth issues recommended last week that the state spend $21.6 million to address the problem, much of which would go toward drug-abuse treatment, intervention and prevention programs. Shortly afterward, Gov. Linda Lingle said the task force's recommendations were merely throwing money at the problem.

House Majority Whip Brian Schatz, D-25th (Makiki, Tantalus), said policy-makers need to "put our money where our mouth is on the crisis."

"I think that prevention and treatment programs cost money, and we have to say that up front," he said. "So anybody who says they're for prevention and for treatment but doesn't want to pay for

it isn't being totally straight with people."

House Assistant Minority Leader David Pendleton, R-49th (Kane-

'ohe, Maunawili, Enchanted Lake), also said that he favors expanding treatment programs for drug abuse, but that lawmakers need to take a look at the dollar figures proposed by the task force.

"I generally agree with the governor," he said. "At the same time they need some money. Let's pick a figure that's more in line with reality."

Both Pendleton and Schatz said they were confident some compromise would be reached on how to address the problem.

Senate President Robert Bunda, D-22nd (North Shore, Wahiawa), was more pragmatic, saying the amount of treatment money ultimately depends on what the state budget can afford. But he noted there is an urgency statewide to deal with crystal meth.

Lingle and most Republican lawmakers also support easing wiretap laws and allowing "walk and talk" investigations at the airports, which the task force did not recommend. Less than half of the Democrats answered a question on whether they support reducing wiretap restrictions; the few who answered were split on the issue.

Many lawmakers expressed support for building a new correctional treatment facility here, an issue that has haunted politicians for years.

Lingle has said she wants to eventually bring home inmates housed on the Mainland and, while running for governor, promised to build two privately financed treatment facilities for prisoners. The state has authorized a planning study to evaluate potential sites for a prison-type facility, with an emphasis on drug-abuse treatment.

The governor has the authority to negotiate with a private developer to build a correctional facility, but having nearly every lawmaker in support of a treatment facility may provide the momentum.

Lawmakers were less enthusiastic about other issues, such as raising taxes, which politicians generally prefer to avoid in an election year. Proposals to give the counties additional taxing authority garnered few positive responses; many lawmakers chose to ignore the questions altogether.

Only half of the 76 lawmakers responded to an open-ended question asking under what circumstances they would support higher taxes. Public education appeared to be the most popular justification for raising taxes, although most of those who responded opposed a tax increase or said other options needed to be ruled out first.

The survey also found that a majority of lawmakers favor:

• Extending Act 221, the high-technology tax credit, in some form beyond 2005, when it expires.

• Banning political campaign contributions by government contractors.

• Providing tax credits to businesses that offer healthcare insurance to part-time employees.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.