BUDGET PANEL BACKS FUNDING TO ADDRESS DRUG CRISIS

Provides $1.7 million for treatment and enforcement

AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on the state’s budget writing panel overwhelmingly approved $1.7 million for a measure to address Maine’s drug crisis.

LD 1811 will increase funding for treatment for substance abuse and addiction by $750,000 while also stepping up enforcement funds by $920,000 for up to 10 new Maine Drug Enforcement Agents. The bill also establishes the Criminal Law Revision Commission to revise the criminal code, including sentencing.

“This is a solid approach that balances the complex needs of the drug issue plaguing our state,” said Democratic Senator Dawn Hill, the Senate Chair of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee. “It’s been said before but we can’t arrest our way out of this problem and this bill takes that into account by providing resources for treatment and enforcement.”

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate had given strong bipartisan support to the bill but the budget committee was unable to find funding for the full cost of the bill at the time of the vote.

The bill was revived late yesterday afternoon when Governor Paul LePage announced new funding for the proposal from the state’s unclaimed property account.

“Drug addiction is a disease that hurts families, communities and public safety. That’s why we insisted on bolstering substance abuse and treatment in this bill,” said Democratic Representative Peggy Rotundo of Lewiston, the House Chair of the Appropriations Committee.

Substance abuse cost Maine $1.4 billion in 2010, up 56 percent from 2005, but spending on substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery accounted for only a small fraction of that cost.

The measure, “An Act To Appropriate and Allocate Funds To Strengthen the State’s Efforts To Investigate, Prosecute and Punish Persons Committing Drug Crimes,” will now be sent to the Senate for a vote.