SENATE PANEL MAY OK CLEAN-NEEDLE BILLS

Trenton -- Following a long and controversial route, two bills that
would give intravenous drug users access to clean needles may be
approved by the Senate health committee next week.

The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee will
meet Monday to consider a pair of bills that would allow anyone to
buy syringes without a prescription and allow municipalities to set
up needle exchange programs.

Needle exchange has been pushed by state lawmakers for more than a
decade but hasn't been able to get through the Legislature, leaving
New Jersey as the only state without a program despite the support
of Gov. Jon S. Corzine, Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-West
Orange, and Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, D-Camden.

Though Democrats control the committee, five to three, Sen. Ronald
Rice, D-Newark, has been a vocal critic of needle exchange, leaving
the measure deadlocked in the committee.

But another opponent of needle exchange, Sen. Robert Singer,
R-Lakewood, said he would give the Democrats his vote Monday, with
no recommendation for passage in the Senate, just so the matter can
be debated by the full Senate, where its fate is doubtful.

"There are some pieces of legislation that are just important enough
that the whole Senate should take up," Singer said. "The committee
system is to hear the testimony, to make a recommendation. I think
it sends a very strong message when it comes out with
no recommendation from the committee."

Among Republican opponents on the health committee is U.S. Senate
candidate Thomas Kean Jr., R-Westfield, who said he will vote
against the bills Monday.

"Number one, it undermines law enforcement activities," Kean said.
"Secondly, I think what we need to focus on is treatment and
education initiatives rather than those initiatives that enable drug
dependents' behaviors."

Kean' opponent, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-Hoboken, an appointed
incumbent seeking a full term in the U.S. Senate, supports needle
exchange programs.

A leading needle-exchange advocate said the issue wouldn't factor in
November's election.

"I'm not sure if it's on the radar in terms of a federal election,"
said Roseanne Scotti, director of the Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey.