July 13, 2006

"Drug law changes spark suit'

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday signed a bill that supporters say will improve California's treatment-not-jail law for drug users, but which foes say actually guts the law's original intent.

The Drug Policy Alliance and the California Society of Addiction Medicine later Wednesday sued in Alameda County Superior Court to overturn the new law, claiming it is unconstitutional to significantly amend Proposition 36 — approved by 61 percent of voters in November 2000 — without another popular vote.

Such a vote, presumably preceded by a costly and nasty campaign, could be inevitable: The new law specifies that if a court strikes down any part of it, the new law automatically will be put on the ballot in its entirety."

The article is here.

Posted by Randy Riddle at July 13, 2006 11:01 AM