GOVERNOR VETOES HALF OF STATE FUNDS TO TEST DRUG OFFENDERS

SACRAMENTO (Associated Press) -- Gov. Gray Davis on Thursday vetoed $9.8
million in state money intended to pay for drug testing of thousands of
offenders who receive treatment instead of jail or prison under a new voter
initiative.

He left intact $8.4 million in federal money that can be used for the tests.

Many of the state's counties had been counting on Davis to sign the bill,
officials with the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs and
with various treatment and law enforcement organizations said last week.

However, Davis said in his veto message that the department concluded the
federal money will be enough to pay for counties' testing.

The governor said he "strongly support(s) drug testing as a component of
substance abuse treatment," but he said he had no choice but to eliminate
the state funding because California's declining economy is jeopardizing
the state's budget.

He promised to include an unspecified amount of money for drug tests in his
2002-2003 budget.

Opponents of Proposition 36 had worried there would be no way to test drug
users because the initiative passed by voters last year included no testing
money.

Seven of the state's 58 counties said they aren't requiring the urine tests
that would show if offenders are continuing to use drugs during treatment.
Officials had said they expected the counties to reconsider if state money
became available.

"To veto out money that is needed by the counties is kind of representative
of the governor's attitude about drug treatment," said Whitney Taylor of
the Lindesmith Center, which backed the proposition that took effect July 1.

She lauded the language of the bill, however, which makes it clear that
drug testing is to be used as part of treatment, not to eliminate offenders
from drug programs.