Pubdate: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 Source: St. Petersburg Times (FL) Copyright: 2002 St. Petersburg Times Contact: http://www.sptimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/419 Author: Julie Hauserman DRUG AMENDMENT EFFORT ENDS TALLAHASSEE -- Organizers of a ballot initiative that would have steered some nonviolent drug offenders to treatment instead of to prison have abandoned their effort, complaining that Florida's legal process is dysfunctional. The Campaign for New Drug Policies, the national group behind the measure, said it will pursue similar ballot initiatives in Michigan and Ohio for the November election. The group hopes to put the measure before Florida voters in November 2004. The proposed amendment to Florida's Constitution, called the Right to Treatment and Rehabilitation for Nonviolent Drug Offenses, would give certain first- and second-time drug offenders the right to treatment. It wouldn't apply to people arrested for drug dealing or violent crimes. In some cases, those with histories of violence or drug dealing could get treatment instead of prison if their previous conviction was at least 5 years old. Gov. Jeb Bush had opposed the measure, calling it a step toward drug legalization. State agencies, including the Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, had been organizing opposition. The effort was part of an organized, nationwide push to undo some of America's hard-line drug laws. It is bankrolled by three wealthy businessmen: New York financier George Soros, Cleveland insurance executive Peter Lewis and John Sperling of Arizona, founder of the for-profit University of Phoenix. The group had collected about 300,000 signatures but needed another 488,000 to get the measure on the ballot this fall. It also had to get the ballot language approved by the Florida Supreme Court. The high court heard the case in December but has yet to rule. The organizers said the delay makes it too difficult to collect the needed signatures in time. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth