METHADONE CLINIC BILL EXEMPTS CURRENT PLANS

Lawmakers Say It Is Unfair To Place Retroactive Limits On Business Locations.

RICHMOND - Proposed methadone clinics in Roanoke and Washington County
could be exempt from legislation attempting to block the drug treatment
facilities from opening near schools or day care centers.

Sens. Brandon Bell of Roanoke County and William Wampler of Bristol
originally introduced their respective bills in part to prevent private
companies from proceeding with plans for two methadone clinics in the
legislators' districts, including one proposed for Hershberger Road.

Both bills would ban clinics within a half-mile of public or private
schools, but Wampler's legislation includes licensed day care centers as
well as schools.

But members of a Senate subcommittee rewrote the two bills to exempt
proposed clinics that were in the pipeline before Jan. 1, 2004.

Members of the Senate Education and Health subcommittee on health care said
they were uncomfortable changing the rules on companies who had followed
all existing rules and made significant investments in the planned clinics.

"We are making this retroactive," said Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg,
arguing against the bills as originally written. "It doesn't matter if
you've got a building. It doesn't matter if you've got a long-term lease."

The committee combined the two bills and a third by Sen. John Edwards,
D-Roanoke. The composite bill also would require the state to notify
localities and local community service boards when they receive an
application for a clinic and require a public hearing on the issue.

Wampler and Bell, both Republicans, indicated they plan to petition the
full Senate Education and Health Committee, which meets today, to restore
the language that could block the current proposals. Wampler even
threatened to move to kill the bill altogether if the Washington County
project is allowed to move forward.