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."