DELUCA CRITICIZES SENATE

State Senate Republican leader Louis C. DeLuca (R-Woodbury) criticized the
Democrat-controlled state senate for passing a bill that reduces the
mandatory minimum sentences for crack dealers by increasing the amount of
crack a person can possess before being held to minimum
dealing/distribution penalties.

The new bill increases the amount of crack cocaine a criminal must possess
to be prosecuted as a dealer from half a gram to a full ounce (28 grams).

"Crack cocaine is a scourge on our inner cities, yet here the Democrats are
passing laws to protect the very people who prey on the weak and addicted
by dealing this dangerous drug," said Senator DeLuca. "I'm not sure what
changed in the world that suddenly made it a good idea to allow crack
dealers to possess 56 times the amount of the drug before being subject to
a mandatory minimum sentence, but this misguided legislation is a giant
step backwards for our anti-drug policy. This bill runs contrary to what
the people of Connecticut expect when we say we want to get 'tough on
crime,' and it helps no one but the very criminals who are out there
ruining people's lives."

Responding to claims by the proponents of the bill that it was important to
equalize the penalties for dealing crack and powder cocaine, Sen. DeLuca
introduced an amendment that would have established the
dealing/distributing threshold at half an ounce for both substances. The
amendment was voted down by the Democrats, who instead chose to pass
language that allows criminals to possess up to an ounce of crack before
being punished as a dealer.

During the Senate debate, Sen. DeLuca noted current law allows for
individuals caught with more than a half gram of crack cocaine to avoid
prosecution as a dealer if they can prove they are addicted to the drug.

"The current law works - people who are addicted are given the opportunity
to get help, and those who are dealing crack are subject to more severe
punishment," he said. "There was no need for us to come out today and make
life easier on crack dealers."