HELP STOP THE WAR ON DRUGS FROM BECOMING A WAR ON HURRICANE VICTIMS

By Drug Policy Alliance

Nearly three million people have been displaced from their homes
because of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Many have lost everything.
Yet federal laws prohibit these victims from receiving welfare, food
stamps, public housing, student loans and other benefits if they have
a drug law conviction. People who have lost everything should not be
denied public assistance just because they were convicted of a drug
offense sometime in their past.

The Alliance held a press conference today with Congressman Bobby
Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Crime Subcommittee, and
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), ranking member of the House
Immigration Subcommittee, to announce the introduction of the
"Elimination of Barriers for Katrina Victims Act," which would
temporarily suspend federal laws that deny public assistance to
hurricane victims who have drug offenses in their past. If the bill
is enacted, thousands of destitute families that would otherwise be
denied food stamps, public housing and other aid because of prior
drug offenses would be able to obtain benefits to help put their
lives back together.

Fax Congress in support of this important bill:
http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=1876&l=109090

In addition to holding a press conference, the Alliance released a
statement in support of the bill (
http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=1876&l=109132 ) signed
by almost 100 state and national drug treatment, civil rights, and
public health groups.

We would like to thank Joyce Ann Brown, president and CEO of Mothers
(Fathers) for the Advancement of Social Systems (MASS), and Lorenzo
Ford, a MASS case worker, for traveling all the way from Texas to
speak at our press conference. We would like to especially thank
Antoinette Samson for coming to DC to speak. Her family was evacuated
from New Orleans, where they lost everything, and her courage in the
face of adversity is amazing.

Introduced by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), the "Elimination of
Barriers for Katrina Victims Act" is co-sponsored by Rep. John
Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. William Jefferson
(D-LA), Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA),
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Rep. Charles
Rangel (D-NY), and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS). Since the bill was
just introduced, it does not have a bill number yet.

Now we need you to speak up. Fax your U.S. Representative today
http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=1876&l=109090

The Media Awareness Project of DrugSense adds:

After you have contacted your U.S. Representative, please write
letters on this issue to your local newspapers. The problems of
hurricane victims is daily news now, but few are aware of this
issue. Your letters will help bring the issue to the public.

To see a listing of the newspapers from your state and their contact
information, go to http://www.mapinc.org/media.htm , use the dropdown
menu to select your state and then select CONTACT.

Thanks for your effort and support.

It's not what others do it's what YOU do.

For more information about the Drug Policy Alliance, see
http://www.drugpolicy.org/

For more information on the Media Awareness Project, see http://www.mapinc.org/