CRITICS PAN PATAKI DRUG LAW PROPOSAL

Albany-- Silver Says Reform Plan Doesn't Reflect Compromise That Leaders
Reached Last Month

Gov. George Pataki released a new plan to modify the Rockefeller Drug Laws
Tuesday that was instantly panned by Assembly Democrats and many reform
advocates, significantly reducing its chances of approval by the state
Legislature.

Pataki aides said the plan, which would cut prison sentences for many drug
offenders but increase penalties for those who use children or the Internet
to ply their wares, reflected a conceptual compromise reached last month in
marathon closed-door negotiations with legislative leaders and hip-hop
music mogul Russell Simmons.

Simmons endorsed the governor's plan Tuesday, as did Democratic
presidential hopeful the Rev. Al Sharpton. But other drug law reform
advocates who had attended the unusual meeting with Simmons and state
leaders on June 18 insisted Pataki's proposal did not conform to the
agreement reached that night.

"From my perspective, what they did was take a tentative agreement and add
a lot of frills to it that eviscerates any of the good stuff that was in
it," said Deborah Small, director of public policy at the Drug Policy
Alliance, who joined Simmons in trying to hash out the drug law overhaul.
"If this passes, it will do more harm than good."

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, also slammed the governor's
plan, insisting it does not reflect the "three-way understanding reached in
June." Silver voiced particular disappointment that Pataki's bill does not
return sentencing discretion to judges or add money to the state budget to
expand drug treatment programs.

John McArdle, spokesman for state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno,
R-Brunswick, said he believes the Republican-controlled Senate would
support the governor's proposal "as part of a three-way agreement." Without
Silver, however, the chances of such an agreement are dim.

Pataki stressed that his plan represents a compromise and urged the state
Senate and the Assembly to "try to find a way in their conferences" to pass
it. The Legislature is not likely to return to Albany until the fall.

Also Tuesday, a key ally to Simmons and Andrew Cuomo in the drug reform
battle said that lobbying statements have been filed with the state about
the group's activities.

The executive director of the state Lobbying Commission said he was
nonetheless going ahead with his investigation of the group's activities
and would still seek sworn testimony from Simmons, Cuomo and Benjamin
Chavis, the former head of the NAACP.

"At this late date, you can't just hand in a registration and bi-monthly
(report) and expect us to accept them on their face," said David Grandeau.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.