AG REILLY SLAMS IDEA TO SOFTEN PENALTIES

NATICK -- Gubernatorial candidate Thomas Reilly yesterday criticized
a bill that would let people smoke marijuana without facing jail
time. The proposal, which would change the penalty for possessing
less than an ounce of marijuana to a $250 fine, was censured by
Reilly after a visit to Natick 's senior center.

"That's the wrong message to send to our kids," the attorney general
told the press. "We have to keep them out of drugs."

Currently, if someone is convicted of having that amount of
marijuana he or she can be sent to jail up to six months and pay a
$500 fine. The bill was approved by the joint House and Senate
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee on Monday.

State Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, said he had "to take a hard look"
at the bill before stating his position on it.

"I'm not sure the bill will get to the floor," said Linsky. Linsky
and state Rep. Alice Peisch, D-Wellesley, attended the talk Reilly
gave to Natick seniors yesterday morning.

Peisch said she is not in favor of the proposal with the information
given about it so far, but that she will decide on the issue when
the bill comes in front of the Judiciary Committee.

After Reilly talked to seniors and town officials, the attorney
general did not directly address the questions reporters asked him
about recent controversy surrounding his gubernatorial campaign.
Reilly was in the spotlight two weeks ago after his running mate,
state Rep. Marie St. Fleur, admitted to having delinquent tax debts.
When asked whether he plans to change his campaign because of the
St. Fleur fiasco, Reilly said the focus of his campaign is on issues
that really matter to voters. "Things like economy, education,
creating jobs or fixing the health care system are the things that
will decide this election," said Reilly. "That is what voters
really care about and that's the focus of the campaign." The
attorney general also was asked about the criticism of his statement
- -- "politics is not my strong suit" - after St. Fleur's tax problem
was made public. "My focus right now is to do my job, like coming
here and talking about how to prevent identity theft. That's what I
am doing right now," Reilly said. The candidate for governor also
said he has a lot of respect for Chris Gabrieli, the Democrat whose
backers now are pushing him to run for governor. Reilly originally
was expected to name Gabrieli to be his running mate but dropped
Gabrieli from consideration to name St. Fleur. "Everyone has
an opportunity to run," Reilly said of Gabrieli. "We still have a
long way to go on this campaign."