LOCAL POLITICAL LEADERS BLAST JOHNSON'S PLANS

FARMINGTON - Local political leaders were quick to criticize Gov.
Gary Johnson's plans to send a series of drug reform measures to the
state Legislature.

"He won't be getting my vote," said Rep.-elect Nick Tinnin, R-Farmington.

During a Friday news conference, Johnson said he would ask the
Legislature to decriminalize the possession of an ounce or less of
marijuana and legalize the medical use of the drug for treatment of
glaucoma and other diseases.

Perhaps the most controversial part of the Republican governor's
proposal is the suggested decrease in penalties for first- and
second-time offenders who possess harder drugs like heroin or
cocaine. Johnson would like to make it a misdemeanor to possess
heroin or cocaine, instead of a felony.

"The governor has some very good programs," said Sen.-elect Bill
Sharer, R-Farmington. "I support his school voucher program. But he
does himself and the Republican Party a huge disfavor by following
this path. This will come back to haunt the state of New Mexico. I
agree with him that we're losing the war on drugs. But if we were
losing the war on bank robbery, would we go ahead and make that
legal?"

Rep. Tom Taylor, R-Farmington, said the governor's proposals have
very little chance of passage in the Legislature.

"How many people have jumped on the bandwagon? Only those people who
are drug users," Taylor said. "I haven't seen a big acceptance of
this by either party."

Liberalizing drug laws could also lead to an increase in government,
Taylor warned.

"If you legalize, we'll have to have the same type of programs for
drugs that we have for DWI," Taylor said. "We'll need a whole cadre
of bureaucrats to make sure people are destroying their brains
properly. It's insane."

Joseph Knight, the state chairman of the Libertarian Party, was the
only local political leader who praised Johnson's efforts at drug
reform.

"It's about time," Knight said. "It's a step in the right direction.
Not only is the war on drugs a failure, it's morally wrong.
Individuals should have dominion over their own bodies.

"Prohibition causes more societal problems than the drugs themselves."

Sen.-elect Allen Hurt, R-Fruitland, said he has no problem with using
marijuana to help treat medical conditions, such as glaucoma.

"Our society is comfortable with using other controlled substances to
alleviate suffering," said Hurt, who works as an emergency-room
doctor.

As far as decriminalizing marijuana, Hurt said it's worth considering
if the governor's proposal could help alleviate jail overcrowding and
allow the justice system to concentrate on violent offenders.

"Personally, I don't have a problem with decriminalizing marijuana,"
Hurt said. "But I'm not sure that's what my constituents would want.
I'm here to represent them."

Hurt said he's opposed to decreasing the penalties for heroin and cocaine.

"I don't think we need to go there right now," he said.

Democrats Don Looney and Jerry Sandel also criticized the governor's proposals.

"I don't think we're ready for any of it," said Looney, chairman of
the local Democratic Party. "I just think we need to enforce the laws
we have. Just because we can't get a handle on the problem, that
doesn't mean we should give up.

"It's a major problem in our society. If we legalize drugs, it will
be an even bigger problem. I think the governor's way off-base."

Sandel, a former state legislator, said that the governor's stance on
drugs could have the potential to distract the Legislature from
other, more pressing issues.

"It's going to be a tough enough session as it is with all the issues
facing the Legislature," Sandel said. "I just think it's the wrong
way to proceed."