PATAKI OPENS DOOR FOR DEAL ON DRUG LAWS

Albany Governor Offers To Talk With Democrats About Rockefeller
Reforms

Offering an opening to compromise, Gov. George Pataki said Thursday
he'd be willing to "sit down and talk" with Assembly Democrats about
reforms to the state's mandatory sentencing guidelines known as the
Rockefeller Drug Laws.

Pataki indicated he is open to more dramatic changes to scale back the
harsh 26-year-old statutes than what he has so far proposed. The laws
mandate prison terms of at least 15 years for even first-time,
low-level drug offenders.

However, the governor also attacked the Assembly leadership for
putting political concerns in front of policy changes. So far this
session, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has refused to take a
position on Rockefeller law reforms -- in part, apparently, out of
fear Assembly Democrats will be seen as "soft on crime" in the
November 2000 elections.

"They've decided to act based on their political interests, as opposed
to the public interest. I would say that's the case with . . . the
Rockefeller Drug Laws," Pataki said. "I've never, on any . . . issue,
said it has to be completely my way. I'm always willing to sit down
and talk, and look for responsible common ground."

The governor would not say how far he is willing to compromise and
said he

has not talked to Silver on the matter.

But Silver shot back, accusing the governor of failing to offer any
"real reforms," and said he will continue to resist changes to the law
- -- even by his own membership -- until Pataki comes up with something
more substantial.

Pataki proposes allowing an appeals court to scale back prison terms
by up

to a third for first-time drug transporters, or "mules" - - which
would only affect about 300 of the more than 9,200 inmates currently
incarcerated under the Rockefeller Drug Laws.

"If the governor sends us reform, this house will consider it," Silver
said. "Right now, he has not sent us reform."

The speaker also said he will not consider any one-house bills --
measures

that, at least, indicate willingness for reform -- presumably because
such an

action generally has little chance of becoming law. "What's the
point?" Silver said.

The governor's bill also would link changes to the Rockefeller laws to
ending parole for all felons -- a deal that is unacceptable to nearly
all Assembly Democrats. But even loyal rank-and-file members of
Silver's conference say they want to see some movement on Rockefeller
laws this session.

"These laws need some reform," said Assembly Majority Leader Michael
Bragman, D-Syracuse. "I personally favor something on the Rockefeller
Drug Laws and I think we will be discussing that in the remaining
weeks of the session."

If the deadlock between Pataki and Silver continues, other legislation
calling for Rockefeller law reforms are certain to languish without
action.

Republican Sen. John DeFrancisco of Syracuse, for example, said his
own bill to scale back the sentencing mandates continues to be held
in the Senate Codes Committee as leaders wait to see if reforms will
be taken up this year.