ASSEMBLY PASSES ECSTASY BILL

Penalties Would Be Tougher For Possession Of The Drug

The state Assembly on Tuesday passed by a vote of 80-16 a bill that
would toughen penalties for possession of the drug Ecstasy.

Supporters of Assembly Bill 687 say it could lead to better treatment
options for people convicted of using the drug. An opponent says one
of the bill's harsher provisions could hamper rehabilitation efforts.

The current maximum penalty for a first-time offender of 30 days in
jail and $500 in fines doesn't offer enough time for judges to order
meaningful treatment and education programs in sentences, said George
Chavez, a Madison police detective.

"That's even less of a penalty than for marijuana, and the drug is
much more dangerous because it's marketed toward young people," Chavez
said of Ecstasy.

Under AB 687, introduced by Rep. Gregg Underheim, R-Oshkosh, the
maximum potential penalty for first-time Ecstasy possession would
increase to a year in jail and $5,000 fines. An offender with one or
more prior drug convictions could face a felony and up to 3 1/2 years
in prison and $10,000 in fines under the bill.

The felony conviction could make it impossible for offenders, who
otherwise could be rehabilitated, to get jobs, said the Rev. Sue
Moline Larson, a pastor and lobbyist for the Lutheran Office for
Public Policy in Wisconsin.

The Legislature already passed this session a bill that would have
allowed school districts to refuse employment to anyone convicted of a
felony, Larson said. Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed the bill, but
similar proposals will continue to be introduced, Larson said.

"Every session, it's pretty unbelievable they're jacking up the time
people spend behind bars and elevating misdemeanors into felonies,"
Larson said.

The bill would eliminate the option of sentencing first-time offenders
to treatment alone. But judges still could use deferred prosecution to
encourage treatment and education, Underheim said. Under deferred
prosecution, an offender is sentenced but may not have to serve the
full sentence if they comply with a judge's orders.

Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, or 3-4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine, has
been found to cause long-term damage to neurons in animals and is
suspected of having similar effects on humans, according to the
National Institutes of Health, a division of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.

The bill is now headed to the Senate for consideration.