Colorado
State
Senate
Okays
Needle
Exchange
--
Republican
State
Chair
Explictly
Threatens
Reps
Who
Vote
in
Favor!
2/27/98
> In an emotional and hotly contested 20-15 vote, Colorado's senate approved SB-99, which would legalize syringe exchange in the state. The measure goes next to the house. The city of Denver would like to institute a needle exchange program, while Boulder already has one in operation, albeit illegally. Authorities in Boulder have thus far declined to shut the program down in the belief that it is providing a valuable service to the community. Denver's Mayor Wellington Webb, a supporter of syringe exchange, told the Denver Post, "I'm pleased that we're halfway there, and I certainly want to congratulate those legislators who were able to give another tool to be used in the fight against the spread of AIDS. But sources told The Week Online that Colorado State Republican Chair Steve Curtis has issued an explicit threat to any house member who votes in favor of the bill. Curtis promised that any house Republican who strays from the party line on this vote can be assured of facing party-financed opposition in their next primary. Insiders say that Curtis' threat may in fact work against his party, with the potential existing for a backlash against such an overt act of coercion. The bill is now in the 11-member Health, Environment, Welfare and Institutions committee, where it is thought that one or two swing votes are still needed to send the bill to the floor. Paul Simons, Executive Director of People Engaged in Education and Reduction Strategies (PEERS), a proponent of the bill, told The Week Online, "There is obviously a lot of support within the city governments of both Denver and Boulder for these programs. We're facing a situation here where legislators from districts which are not facing these types of problems are trying to hold syringe exchange hostage, and are essentially condemning people to death, for purely political reasons. It's vital that people of Colorado contact their legislators and express their concern." ALERT: Colorado residents are STRONGLY URGED to contact their state reps by phone THIS WEEK as the bill will be acted upon quickly. Some of the key legislators in this process include Kay Alexander (58-R) 866-2955, Chuck Berry (21-R) 866-2346, Jeanne Faatz (1-R) 866-2966, Dorothy Gotlieb (10-R) 866-2910, William Kaufman (51-R) 866-2947, Martha Kreutz (37-R) 866-5510, Joyce Lawrence (45-R) 866-2922, Paul Schauer (39-R) 866-2935, Bryan Sullivant (62-R) 866-2916, Bill Swenson (12-R) 866-2920, Jack Taylor (56-R) 866-2949, and Tambor Williams (50-R) 866-2929. (All numbers are in area code 303.) Please call one or more of the legislators on this list plus your own; and whether or not you live in Colorado, please get your friends and family in Colorado to call theirs. You can contact PEERS at (303) 455-2472. For more information about syringe exchange and injection-related AIDS, go to DRCNet's Topics in Depth site at http://www.drcnet.org/AIDS/, the North American Syringe Exchange Network home page at http://www.nasen.org/, or the Safe Works AIDS Project web site at http://www.safeworks.org/.
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