“Congress: Budget Deal Includes Series of Drug Reform Victories” reports:
“US House and Senate negotiators in conference committee approved the finishing touches on the Fiscal Year 2010 budget Tuesday night, and they included a number of early Christmas presents for different drug reform constituencies. It isn’t quite a done deal yet — this negotiated version of the FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act must now win final approval on both the House and Senate floors. But they are up-or-down, no-amendments-allowed votes — if the bill passes, it will include the drug reforms.
“What the conference committee approved:
- Ending the ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs — without previous language that would have banned them from operating within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, and similar facilities. (Instead it seems to give local authorities the ability to overrule state or other officials on location choices.)
- Ending the ban on the use of federal funds for needle exchanges in the District of Columbia.
- Allowing the District of Columbia to implement the medical marijuana initiative passed by voters in 1998 but blocked by congressional diktat ever since.
- Cutting funding for the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign from $70 million this year to $45 million next year.”
WATCHDOG: Running around in joyful circles! Post script: Word just in as of Dec. 13 at 6:00 PM. The House voted 221-202 and the Senate voted 57-35 to approve the measures.
