Pataki's Latest Plan to Soften Rockefeller Laws Called Too Harsh ALBANY - Gov. George Pataki's newest proposal to soften the state's drug laws appeared unlikely to go anywhere as Democrats and activists bashed it Tuesday as overly harsh. Pataki said his new bill reflected compromises Democrats and Republicans reached last month in a marathon seven-hour meeting at the end of the legislative session. But Democrats and groups pushing for drug-law reform said the bill backpedaled from some of those agreements and included new penalties they did not favor. [continues 411 words]
Critics Say Bill Is Too Punitive ALBANY -- Gov. George Pataki's newest proposal to soften the state's drug laws appeared unlikely to go anywhere as Democrats and activists bashed it Tuesday as overly harsh. Pataki said his new bill reflected compromises Democrats and Republicans reached last month in a marathon seven-hour meeting at the end of the legislative session. But Democrats and groups pushing for drug-law reform said it backpedaled from some of those agreements and included new penalties they never favored. [continues 268 words]
Legislature Could End Before Pact is Made ALBANY -- A New York City hip-hop mogul and a handful of celebrities revived talks this week over softening the state's drug laws, but with less than two weeks remaining in the legislative session, it's uncertain whether a compromise will be reached. Reform supporters hope Assembly Democrats and Gov. George Pataki can cut a deal before the end of the legislative session June 19. The head of the powerful prosecutors' association, though, says the two sides are still far apart. [continues 324 words]
Despite Landmark Legislation, A Slew Of Bills Remains Undone ALBANY -- The Legislature crossed two items off its to-do list this month by passing gay-rights and drunken-driving bills, but it left a slew of other issues undone when lawmakers went home for the year. The state's program to clean up toxic-waste sites remains bankrupt. Strict drug laws that have been the subject of hot debate for the past three years are still in place. The law governing how new power plants are approved expires at the end of the year, and there will be nothing to replace it. All of which was evidence that the Legislature remains mired by gridlock, say critics, including some of its own members. [continues 819 words]
ALBANY -- Hopes for a last-minute deal to overhaul the state's drug laws collapsed Thursday as Republican Gov. George Pataki and the GOP-controlled Senate remained far from Assembly Democrats on how to do it. A host of other major issues also remained unresolved on the last scheduled day of the Legislature's session, including efforts to ban smoking in restaurants and hike the minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $6.75. Lawmakers did approve a slew of minor bills and at least one controversial measure that didn't come up until Thursday. The Assembly approved, and the Senate was expected to follow suit, a rental-car bill removing a $100 cap on how much renters must pay for damage to cars that supporters said would bring down costs but critics said was a loss for consumers. [continues 133 words]
ALBANY -- Gov. George Pataki got a television advertisement slamming his drug policy pulled because of inaccuracies, but the group that produced the ad said the governor is just trying to silence critics. Pataki communications director Mike McKeon complained of errors in the ad running on Univision, the biggest Spanish-speaking television station in New York City. In response, the station stopped running the ad. The Drug Policy Alliance, however, said the mistake in the ad was minor. The incident "shows to me they're committed to not having any criticism of Pataki in the Latino community," said Deborah Small, public policy director for the alliance. [continues 365 words]
Saying he is committed to change, Gov. George Pataki released a new proposal for softening the state's harsh drug laws Friday. However, some reform advocates say too many people would not qualify for treatment programs. Under the plan, life sentences for drug criminals would be eliminated, more people would be eligible for treatment programs and judges would have more leeway to order treatment instead of prison, even if prosecutors disagreed. Pataki's proposal also would allow those convicted of the most serious drug crimes to appeal to a judge for a 50 percent reduction in their sentence, from 15 years to life to as little as seven years and two months in prison. [continues 771 words]
Critics Say Proposal Not Enough ALBANY -- Saying he's committed to change, Gov. George E. Pataki released a new proposal for softening the state's harsh drug laws Friday, but some reform advocates called it little more than rehash. Under the plan, life sentences for drug criminals would be eliminated, more people would be eligible for treatment instead of prison, and judges would have more leeway to order treatment instead of prison, even if prosecutors disagreed. But critics say despite the changes, too many drug offenders would remain in prison and not qualify for treatment programs. [continues 604 words]
Rochester woman finds defenders as she fights INS deportation order. (Jan. 8, 2000) -- Maria Wigent attended school in Rochester, went to work here, got married downtown and even honeymooned in a hotel on East Avenue. But she also got hooked on cocaine and shoplifted from local stores so many times that she was banned from one grocery store chain. As a result, she may be kicked out of the United States and sent back to the country she left when she was 5. [continues 1604 words]
