LEGISLATIVE PANEL TO TACKLE 'ICE' EPIDEMIC

U.S. Attorney: Hawaii's Problem With Crystal Meth Worst In Nation

HONOLULU -- House and Senate leaders on Monday agreed to form a joint select
committee to address ''ice,'' or crystal methamphetamine, the basis of an
addiction epidemic destroying lives, tearing apart families and playing a
role in many violent and property crimes.

Such cooperative efforts between the House and Senate are rare.

Two years ago, the House and Senate formed a joint investigative committee
to look into the soaring costs and abuses in the special-education programs
under the Felix Consent Decree. It resulted in criminal investigations,
administrative changes and the resignation of the state's public schools
superintendent.

''Ice use is a crisis in this state, and we believe that we need to do
whatever it takes to combat this crisis,'' said House Majority Leader Scott
Saiki, D-Moiliili-McCully.

Senate President Robert Bunda, D-Kaena-Wahiawa-Pupukea, said besides looking
at tougher law enforcement and better treatment programs, he wants the panel
to consider mandatory drug testing in the public schools, something this
year's Legislature rejected.

Bunda made the proposal in his opening-day address in January and won
immediate support from the Lingle administration and especially from Lt.
Gov. James ''Duke'' Aiona, a former Family and Circuit Court judge who set
up the state's Drug Court program.

In support of drug testing in the schools, lawmakers pointed to a Department
of Health report that nearly half of all seniors, one-fourth of 10th- and
8th-graders and nearly one-tenth of 6th-graders have tried at least one
illicit drug.

''It's something we can look at, but I'm not sure there's overwhelming
support for that concept,'' said Saiki. ''There are a lot of other
compelling issues to look at.''

The first step will be going into the community ''and ask residents and
experts for their guidance and assistance in finding solutions to the
problems they are facing,'' Saiki said. ''Then we can take that information
and create a comprehensive action plan to address these unmet needs.''

Bunda said Senate members of the joint committee ''want to talk about
everything. We want to talk about what it is we're lacking in terms of
enforcement. Are we really going after the crooks, or are we just
identifying those who are abusing drugs and then get them into treatment?''

''We need to have a balance between enforcement and treatment,'' he said.

Bunda and Saiki said the composition of the joint committee is pending,
although plans call for six Democrats and two Republicans from each house.

Last fall, U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo reported that Hawaii has the worst crystal
methamphetamine problem in the country and said it's destroying families and
communities.

He cited a Justice Department report that said 40 percent of the people
arrested in Honolulu tested positive for methamphetamine use. Kubo said no
other city came close to 30 percent.

Gov. Linda Lingle last month signed into law the Legislature's only
significant legislation addressing the ''ice'' problem. It lets the attorney
general set up a special legal team to shut down drug houses under the
state's nuisance abatement laws.

Big Island Rep. Bob Herkes, D-Volcano-Kainaliu, pressed for the law, saying
rampant drug use in economically depressed Pahala was tearing families apart
and overwhelming law enforcement.

Saiki said the joint committee will examine the adequacy of existing civil
and criminal laws relating to illegal drugs as well as the adequacy of the
drug treatment programs and possible federal funding with help from Hawaii's
congressional delegation.

In the same spirit of cooperation, the House and Senate leaders also agreed
Monday to form a working group to draft campaign finance reform for
consideration next year, Saiki said.

A campaign finance reform bill that was sharply criticized by the minority
Republicans and Campaign Spending Commission Executive Director Robert
Watada died in the closing days of the 2003 session after House leaders
withdrew it from consideration.

''What we've learned is that campaign finance reform is a very complicated
area of law,'' Saiki said at the time.

He said Monday that the working group would strive to be nonpartisan with
representation both major political parties and identify areas of agreement
on changes to the law.