RICHMOND - The American Civil Liberties Union has jumped into the state's methadone clinic debate, threatening legal action if Gov. Mark Warner signs a bill that would limit where such clinics could locate. ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis, in a letter sent to Warner on Wednesday, said the measure could be a violation of federal disability laws. But the legislation's main sponsor said Thursday he felt the bill provides for both public safety and treatment of drug abuse. [continues 402 words]
BRISTOL, Va. - The state House of Delegates may get a final say this week on whether Gov. Mark Warner will see a bill putting restrictions on new methadone clinics. The House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee sent Sen. William C. Wampler Jr.'s Senate Bill 607 to the full House Tuesday with only minor amendments. The bill stems from controversies involving proposed methadone clinics in the Roanoke area and Washington County. Wampler, R-Bristol, said the bill, cosponsored by Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County, still contains its original features. [continues 265 words]
BRISTOL, Va. - The state House of Delegates could get its turn in two weeks to consider a measure limiting the establishment of methadone clinics. Senate Bill 607, co-sponsored by Sens. William C. Wampler Jr., R-Bristol, and Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke, passed the Senate on Tuesday by a 39-1 vote. The bill would: * prohibit establishment of methadone clinics within a half-mile of public or private licensed schools and day-care centers unless placed in an approved hospital setting; [continues 286 words]
BRISTOL, Va. - Two Southwest Virginia senators have joined forces in presenting a bill that would put new limits on those trying to establish methadone treatment clinics in the state. The Senate Education and Health Committee approved the amended bill 12-2 Thursday, and it could go to a Senate floor vote by Monday or Tuesday. Sens. William Wampler Jr., R-Bristol, and Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke, merged their respective methadone-clinic bills into SB 607, which would: a.. prohibit establishment of methadone clinics within a half-mile of public or private licensed schools and day-care centers unless placed in an approved hospital setting; b.. require the state Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services to notify the local governing body and community services board within 15 days of a license application in that locality; and c.. allow local governments to submit comments to the commissioner of the state Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services within 30 days of receiving notice of an application. Wampler, Bell and other legislators on both sides of the General Assembly had introduced similar bills this year in response to three unrelated attempts to open new methadone clinics in the Roanoke area and in Washington County, near Bristol. [continues 181 words]
BRISTOL, Va. - The City Council could take pre-emptive action next week that would make it easier to keep a methadone clinic out of the city. The council and the Planning Commission on Tuesday could fast-track a proposed change to the city's zoning ordinance that would require special exemptions for any substitution drug-treatment program involving methadone or other substances. Mayor Jerry Wolfe said Friday that Bristol had not received requests or notification of any methadone clinic wanting to come to the city, but the move came amid a pending request to open one in neighboring Washington County. [continues 353 words]
BRISTOL, Va. - The number of General Assembly bills to change how the state licenses methadone clinics is growing in the wake of three proposals to open such clinics in Southwest Virginia. Sen. William C. Wampler Jr., R-Bristol, on Wednesday introduced the latest of five bills in the House and Senate in reaction to plans to open methadone substance-abuse treatment clinics in Roanoke, Roanoke County and Washington County. Wampler's version contains elements of two pairs of identical House-Senate bills that would: [continues 304 words]
BRISTOL, Va. - Common themes are emerging from three bills being written by Southwest Virginia legislators to control the establishment of methadone clinics. The city and county of Roanoke and Washington County in recent weeks have seen methadone clinics spark public controversy over their attempts to locate in or near business and residential districts. Legislators from those areas - Sen. William C. Wampler Jr., Sen.-elect Brandon Bell and Delegate-elect William Fralin Jr. - all hope to address the controversy with similar bills when the General Assembly convenes Jan. 14. [continues 462 words]
BRISTOL, Va. - While methadone is becoming a growing drug problem in Southwest Virginia, some state and local law enforcement officials say methadone clinics aren't to blame. Residents of the Lowry Hills area have risen up in opposition to a planned clinic in their neighborhood. The matter is to be taken up by the Washington County Board of Supervisors today. Dr. William Massello, chief medical examiner for the state's western district, said his office has seen almost an exponential climb in methadone-overdose deaths since 1992. But he said he didn't believe methadone clinics have had much of an impact on that increase. [continues 751 words]
BRISTOL, Va. -- A proposed drug-use policy for Bristol Virginia school students will be considered on first reading by the School Board on June 16, although board members hope to get public input on a drug-testing provision earlier in the month. Board members agreed to consider the policy at their second June meeting after School Board attorney Joseph Lyle said the city appears to be ahead of the Virginia Board of Education and Virginia School Boards Association in designing such a policy. [continues 428 words]
Federal money is now in the pipeline for a program to head off illegal prescriptions of OxyContin and other narcotics in Virginia. Gov. Mark Warner announced Tuesday the $180,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant, which will provide initial funding for Virginia's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program approved in 2002. The program will bring paper records of prescription activity involving OxyContin and other Schedule II narcotics into a central database, making it easier for law enforcement agencies to track abusers and illegal sellers of the drugs. [continues 569 words]
Bristol Virginia School Board members will get their first look March 17 at a draft policy that would require drug testing for all students involved in extracurricular activities. School Superintendent Frank Finan confirmed Monday that School Board members will then have their first discussion on the draft -- drawn up at the board's request by School Board Attorney Joseph Lyle -- since the board discussed the issue in January. The policy was not on the board's Monday meeting agenda, and Finan said the draft does not yet represent the board's official position on the matter. [continues 366 words]
The constitutional ins and outs of student drug testing will be on the Bristol Virginia School Board agenda in February, when a draft drug and alcohol policy affecting students in athletics and extracurricular activities will be presented. Board members agreed during their Monday meeting to hold a first reading on a draft "Comprehensive Drug and Alcohol Plan" that is expected to deal with issues such as dog searches on school property and testing of students for drugs. Superintendent Frank Finan later said that the draft probably will be submitted to his office by School Board attorney Joe Lyle about a week before the board's Feb. 17 meeting. [continues 556 words]
NORTON -- Two bills on the Southwest Virginia legislative delegation's agenda this year were signed into law by Gov. Mark Warner, allowing the start of a new illegal drug use countermeasure and opening up the telecommunications business to some local governments. Warner on Thursday signed Senate Bill 425, patroned by Bristol Sen. William C. Wampler, R-40th District. The bill authorized creation of a pilot database program to track patient abuse of Schedule II controlled prescription medicines including painkillers such as OxyContin. [continues 451 words]
