CAMPAIGN POLLING CRITICIZED

Phone Firm Distorted Lautenschlager's Record, Team Says

Madison - In the latest sparring in the attorney general race, Peg
Lautenschlager's camp on Monday accused Republican Vince Biskupic and
his team of distorting her record in telephone calls to voters made by
a polling firm.

Lautenschlager spokesman Scot Ross said one person had called to
complain that a Utah firm was engaged in "push polling" - using the
guise of a poll to sway voters - and telling voters that the former
Assembly member wanted to legalize drug use. Ross called it a
distortion, and warned it might prompt an Elections Board complaint.

"They said Peg supported legislation that would have decriminalized
heroin," Ross said. He said he called Venture Data in Salt Lake City,
Utah, where a manager would say only that calls were made on behalf of
the Biskupic campaign.

Tim Fiocchi, Biskupic's campaign manager, said there were no questions
about heroin, and that Ross' complaints were misguided.

"All the questions in the survey were based on the candidate's record,
and if there's something in there that they think is inaccurate, then
we can discuss it," Fiocchi said. "But all we saw out of them today
was some name calling and a lot of noise."

Fiocchi said one question concerned a bill that Lautenschlager
introduced as a state representative in 1991, which Fiocchi said would
have effectively legalized marijuana.

According to the Legislative Reference Bureau analysis, the bill would
have changed a state law allowing a city, village or county to enact
and enforce ordinances to prohibit the possession of 25 grams or less
of marijuana. The bill would have changed the amount to 30 grams or
less.

Ross said that at the time, the Legislature had made possession of
marijuana a crime, whatever the quantity, and, in doing so, had
eliminated the ability of local governments to write ordinances
allowing fines for marijuana possession. Ross said local officials
wanted the option.

"It's actually tougher on crime, because what was happening, DAs
weren't doing anything, because they didn't want to put someone in
jail for having a joint," Ross said.

Ross said the bill became part of an omnibus drug bill that passed.