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Crime and punishment

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Illinois

* More punishment instead of treatment and education…

An initiative pushed by southern Illinois law enforcement that targets people who inhale chemicals to get high gained overwhelming support from a Senate panel Wednesday.

Members of the Criminal Law Committee voted 8-0 to endorse a measure that takes aim at “huffing” — a practice in which fumes from paint and other chemicals are inhaled. Under the legislation, a second huffing offense would be increased to a Class A misdemeanor, carrying a penalty of up to one year in prison.

It is being pushed by law enforcement in Williamson County who complain they see the same abusers over and over again.

Is this stuff harmful and dangerous? Heck, yes. But if the only tool you ever use is a hammer, every problem will look like a nail. There’s gotta be a better way.

* The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation banning so-called “e-cigarettes.” The devices are plastic tubes that look like cigarettes, often emit a visible vapor that looks a bit like smoke, and deliver nicotine to the user. The problem is that most of those e-cigs are made in China, so the ingredients are often unknown to users. But a House committee decided yesterday it needed more time to study the issue…

Former smokers who use the products and retailers who supply them objected to an outright ban, suggesting that lawmakers should look at regulation of e-cigarettes first. Several former smokers said they tried every FDA-approved smoking cessation tool but still couldn’t quit the habit until finding the e-cigarettes.

State Rep. Constance Howard, D-Chicago, said she also was a former smoker and understood how difficult quitting could be.

“I just wish there was something like these around before my mother died,” she said, to applause from the assembled e-cigarette proponents.

Sponsoring state Rep. Marlow Colvin, D-Chicago, said the FDA hasn’t approved the products yet and have found examples of carcinogens and other chemicals in the cartridges. He and lobbyist Kathy Drea with the American Lung Association said the state should prevent people from buying the e-cigarettes until the FDA has ruled on their safety.

* As we’ve discussed before, the state constitution imposes a limit on the number of constitutional amendments that can be voted on during election years. Republicans have been saying for weeks that the Democrats are attempting to pack the ballot to make sure there is no room for the GOP-backed redistricting reform proposal. The House Republicans helped kill a proposal by House Speaker Michael Madigan a few weeks ago to mandate minimum requirements for judges using that argument, and they did it again yesterday to a different measure on victims’ rights…

House lawmakers Wednesday short-circuited another proposed constitutional amendment, this one on crime victims’ rights, because of concerns about filling up the ballot.

House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 19 received only 65 of the needed 71 ‘yes’ votes for approval, but its sponsor used a parliamentary move to bring it up for a later vote.

This amendment would strengthen the rights provided to crime victims, especially in criminal cases on appeal. Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, said the intent of the measure should make it overwhelmingly popular with lawmakers.

“Public policy demands that we do the right thing on this amendment,” Lang said.

Republicans brought up the ballot-packing allegations, but Lang angrily pointed out that he’s been working on this issue for a long time…

“You think that two years ago I decided to spend two years of my life working on this amendment just so you could vote no on it because you think there’s some conspiracy is really kind of insulting.”

* Related…

* State Capitol Q&A: Crime victims’ rights subject of amendment proposal

* Legal reformers want to derail lawsuit lending bill

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 11:21 am

Comments

What, you can’t set judge qualifications or increase victims rights with a statute instead of a constitutional amendment? Sorry, Lou…doesn’t wash.

Comment by Park Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 11:57 am
I don’t understand how anyone can look at someone inhaling spray paint fumes to get high and thinking anything other than that person needs help. I’m sure a year in prison is going to do wonders for their life when they’re released so that they don’t feel the need to escape reality anymore.

Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 11:58 am
I am so tired of irony. We have legislation in play that acknowledges the reality of substance abuse and the need to address it (albeit in a backwards punitive manner) at the same time we are cutting the funding for substance abuse treatment. Could be the poster child for the problem with Springfield.

Comment by Montrose Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 12:16 pm
Sponsoring state Rep. Marlow Colvin, D-Chicago, said the FDA hasn’t approved the products yet and have found examples of carcinogens and other chemicals in the cartridges. He and lobbyist Kathy Drea with the American Lung Association said the state should prevent people from buying the e-cigarettes until the FDA has ruled on their safety.

So, she would rather folks smoked cigarettes until the FDA proved that there are no carcinogens in the e-cigarettes designed to help folks stop smoking?

Am I missing something here?

If I’m not mistaken it is the carcinogens in the cigarettes that is the worry for folks who smoke, so why should we be worried over any carcinogens in the product designed to stop smoking?

Marlow Colvin seems to have a weird set of priorities here.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 12:33 pm
=There’s gotta be a better way. =

Like what? How do you mandate that some huffer get treatment without legal sanctions of some sort. I am not averse to programs that try to address this issue - I don’t think jail or prison for first time offenders is the right way to go. I know I get lambasted about this regarding other substances but this issue relates to the pot one since aerosols are not controlled substances. Mind altering substances can be alluring even when legal. There is no “it’s cool cause it’s illegal” stuff going on here. People are using it cause it makes them feel different. Numb, dumb, whatever. You can’t make it legal to make the problem go away - it already is legal. I do not believe that making it illegal will make it go away either. I just don’t see how you compel a person into treatment for this if they won’t want it. For some people, coersion is the only way.

I don’t want to get into the whole argument about prison is horrible and DuPage Dan is horrible for suggesting it. I am earnestly seeking feedback without the sarcasm and rancor. I agree - there has to be a better way. I ain’t seen it yet.

Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 12:39 pm
Southern Illinois does need help battling not just huffing but meth and the other illicit drugs made popular because there is little else to distract people: no jobs, not really much hope for new jobs….

Comment by Vote Quimby! Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 12:40 pm
- Am I missing something here? -

Yes. The fact that they’ve found carcinogens suggests that the e-cigarette may not be as “safe” as the manufacturers claim. So now they need to determine if there are any other unsafe substances in them. Do you not follow the news about some of the things that end up in Chinese products?

Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 12:40 pm
“But if the only tool you ever use is a hammer, every problem will look like a nail.”

And if your department’s budget grows based on how often you use the hammer, you will make for-damn-sure every problem looks like a nail.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 12:54 pm
===Southern Illinois does need help battling not just huffing but meth and the other illicit drugs made popular because there is little else to distract people: no jobs, not really much hope for new jobs….===

Just wait till the budget cuts take effect and all kinds of people find themeselves newly unemployed. Teachers, university types, social service workers, etc….the whole region could be addicted to meth by the end of the year!

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 12:57 pm
Anonymous,

How do you know they won’t be the suppliers?

Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 1:23 pm
Well, I’m searching the ‘net for the formula…you in on it?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 2:53 pm
Please, don’t blow my cover.

Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 3:24 pm
My friend’s son just got 8 mos. in prison for having meth pre cursers. For some reason he was sent to St. Louis for drug treatment.

I figured he would just be sitting around in a cell for 4 months, but it does appear that he is in a program.

Comment by PPHS Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 4:13 pm
PPHS,

I hope he can get clean - it’s a tough drug no matter where you are in the stream.

Comment by DuPage Dan Thursday, Apr 15, 10 @ 6:48 pm
–Is this stuff harmful and dangerous? Heck, yes. But if the only tool you ever use is a hammer, every problem will look like a nail–

You’ve got that right. Substance abuse can be a crime, but it’s always a sickness. No one wants to be a loser like that; they were somebody’s baby once. But once you’re hooked, it’s hard to kick.

Put crooks in jail, but give alkys and junkies a chance to kick. There will be a lot of setbacks, heartaches and failures, but you don’t give up.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 16, 10 @ 8:31 am