HOUSE REBUFFS EASING PENALTY FOR MARIJUANA

The author of a bill that would decriminalize marijuana possession likely
will return the measure to committee.

Rep. Bill Nations, D-Norman, said he doesn't believe Senate Bill 779 will be
passed by the House if it is brought up again.

House members Monday turned away the proposal, authored by Sen. Bernest
Cain, D- Oklahoma City, and sponsored by Nations. It failed, 13-84.

"The odds are pretty heavily stacked against me on finding the votes I would
need to get it approved," Nations said.

"If I send it back to committee, that will keep the bill alive. We may not
look at it again until next year, but who knows? In this year, there might
be another opportunity to find a bill where that language could be
included."

As proposed, SB 779 would make possessing an ounce or less of the drug a
misdemeanor punishable by a fine.

Nations said the bill's effect would be to have police treat marijuana
possession the same as a traffic ticket.

An agreement mirroring the law change already exists between Norman law
enforcement officials and the Cleveland County district attorney's office as
a way to reduce court congestion there.

Nations said the bill is supported by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and other
law enforcement agencies.

House members Monday asked whether Nations would agree marijuana is a
"gateway drug" to other types of illegal narcotics, and whether he would
agree they might be seen as being soft on crime if the bill were approved.

Nations said the bill does not legalize marijuana.

"I am not endorsing the use of marijuana, and I want to be sure that
whatever we do doesn't encourage children to use the drug. That's the tough
part, and I don't think we are going to be able to get a chance (this
session) to work more on the language."

House members also turned away a bill Monday that would have made a
voluntary finger imaging program on state driver's licenses mandatory.

SB 423, by Sen. Robert M. Kerr, D-Altus, and Rep. Bill Paulk, D-Oklahoma
City, was voted down 35-61.

SB 423 would make a voluntary "touch signature" program mandatory for new
drivers and people who renew their licenses, beginning next year.

Each image, converted into a string of data that will identify up to 40
unique points on the finger, would be fed into a Public Safety Department
database.

The database is accessible by tag agents and Public Safety Department
officials as a way to double-check identity when people renew their
licenses.

House members were concerned it might make a system of digital fingerprint
images available to law enforcement as a crime-solving tool.

Before killing the measure, members voted to amend the bill so law
enforcement officers would have to get a warrant from a judge before the
database could be searched for that purpose.

They approved the amendment from Rep. Thad Balkman, R-Norman, despite
assurances from Paulk and Rep. John Nance, R-Bethany, the database couldn't
be used for such a purpose.

"Let's not give government another piece of our personal information,"
Balkman said before the amendment vote.

Today's voluntary system is set up in such a way that the entire database
can't be scanned for a match. In other words, a name must be provided with
an image so that it can be double- checked with its corresponding file.

The system also requires an actual finger for a comparative scan. A print
lifted from a crime scene could not be fed into the system as it exists
today.

Paulk and Nance said the image system is needed to cut out problems created
by people obtaining fraudulent driver's licenses.

Paulk served notice he will want the bill heard again.