Pubdate: Wed, 17 Dec 2008
Source: Newsday (NY)
Copyright: 2008 Newsday Inc.
Contact:  http://www.newsday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/308
Author: Reid J. Epstein
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

SUFFOLK OKS 'NATALIE'S LAW' TO FIGHT HEROIN USE

Suffolk lawmakers agreed last night to a bill that creates a Web site 
to show heroin-related arrests by location, frequency and the age of 
the culprits.

The bill, dubbed "Natalie's Law" after Massapequa teenager Natalie 
Ciappa, who died from a heroin overdose in June, passed 17-1, a day 
after Nassau's legislature approved a similar law that also requires 
police to notify school districts of heroin arrests.

Ciappa's father, Victor Ciappa, said he never knew the extent of 
heroin use among teenagers on Long Island until his daughter's death. 
"We can't stand by and watch another kid die," he said at a news 
conference before the vote.

Legis. Wayne Horsley (D-Babylon), the bill's sponsor, called heroin 
"a scourge" that "seems to have caught people by surprise." He urged 
residents to read the county's heroin Web site once it is created. 
The lone dissenter, Legis. Thomas Barraga (R-West Islip), said 
broadcasting the location of heroin busts will be more useful to drug 
dealers and users than to parents hoping to protect their children.

"It's basically, from my perspective, a feel-good bill," Barraga 
said. "That's fine. Some people have to feel that way."

Legis. John M. Kennedy Jr. (R-Nesconset) said the bill will give 
police and parents another tool to help keep children from illegal 
drugs. "This will pull away that cloak that drug dealers crave," he said.

County Executive Steve Levy is reviewing the legislation, according 
to his spokesman, Dan Aug.

In other action, legislators unanimously approved Levy's cuts to 12 
capital projects to offset an added $13.1 million in funding for 
county jail construction, after the lowest of three bids came in 
above the facility's $120 million budget.

The move will eliminate county funding in 2009 for rebuilding parking 
lots and curbs at county facilities, a building for wildlife science, 
reconstruction of County Roads 3, 11 and 67, improvements to county 
marinas and incubators to businesses in distressed areas.

Levy officials said the cuts will not kill the projects, but will 
remain on schedule for county funds in 2010 and will also be eligible 
for federal public works funding.

Also at the meeting, an attempt to override Levy's veto of a park fee 
increase to fund the Vanderbilt Museum's 2009 operation fell two votes short.

Lawmakers also tabled a bill to underwrite a study consolidating the 
county's independent town and village police departments into the 
county's police district. Legis. Brian Beedenbender (D-Centereach), 
the bill's author, said he wanted to discuss the matter more with law 
enforcement officials.

Legis. Ed Romaine's proposal to govern the altitude of helicopters 
taking off or landing from the county failed.

Legislators also voted to create a gaming task force to study 
locations for a possible Indian casino in the county. They also 
approved an enforcement action in an attempt to recoup sales tax 
revenue from smoke shops on the Poospatuck Indian Reservation.
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