DRUG TESTS URGED FOR ALL LEGISLATORS

OKLAHOMA CITY -- All members of the Legislature, other elected
officials and their staff members should voluntarily submit to drug
testing in order to set a good example, the Governor's Task Force on
Substance Abuse said Monday.

That was just one suggestion of the task force, which also included
pre-employment and random drug and alcohol testing for state employees
and screening those seeking state services for signs of substance abuse.

Types of state services mentioned in the report include welfare,
unemployment and mental health.

The report says some states require drug testing for those receiving
welfare benefits because surveys have shown that a third or more of
welfare recipients are unproductive because of addiction and
alcoholism. The task force took no position on testing welfare
recipients but strongly recommended drug testing as a condition of
probation or parole for those in the criminal justice system.

Several of the recommendations are almost identical to bills that have
failed to pass the Legislature in recent years, including one that
would prohibit the sale of cold beer for off-premises
consumption.

Two failed in the last session of the Legislature -- lowering the DUI
threshold blood alcohol content to 0.08 from 0.10 and confiscating the
vehicles driven by any person convicted of two or more DUI offenses.

A recommendation that the state create a new agency to deal with drug
and alcohol abuse and treatment generated a stinging minority report
signed by four of the 18 task force members.

The minority report charged some task force members have made
formation of a separate drug and alcohol abuse agency their goal for
many years.

In a separate memo to Gov. Frank Keating, who appointed the task
force, Jack Werner, who signed the minority report, said the task
force was ``loaded'' with ``ringers'' who had the establishment of a
new agency as their primary agenda.

The minority report said the start-up cost for a drug and alcohol
abuse agency at $40 million to $60 million, with annual costs of at
least $25 million.

Keating, who said he hasn't made up his mind on any of the
recommendations, denied that the task force was stacked. He said he
will consider the positions of the minority and majority members of
the task force.

The Department of Mental Health has administered state drug and
alcohol treatment for many years.

Keating said the state must do something to solve its problems related
to substance abuse.

The Task Force Report said Oklahoma's substance abuse funds are
allocated to 12 separate agencies and 23 different programs.

It said the programs and funds should be consolidated into a single
agency. If that isn't done, then the Oklahoma Mental Health Board
should be expanded to 10 members from the present seven, with the
three new members having a background in substance abuse.

Chuck Ervin can be reached at (405) 528-2465.

Checked-by: (trikydik)