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Needle exchange bill reaches milestone tomorrow

Legislation to authorize local-control needle exchange programs will reach a milestone tomorrow when SB 188 finally receives a hearing in the House Public Health committee. The previous chair, Dianne Delisi, had singlehandedly blocked the bill in 2007 after a bipartisan supermajority of senators approved it. But this year's Chair Lois Kolkhorst greenlighted a hearing and promised sponsors the legislation will get a committee vote.A majority of Public Health Committee members already voted for needle exchange once. The House had a vote in 2007 on an amendment by Rep. McLendon to allow a needle exchange pilot in Bexar County that tells us a lot about the bill's likely reception on committee. Here's how the committee members voted on that amendment:Ayes on committee: Naishtat; Coleman; Gonzales; Hopson; McReynolds, King, S;Nays on committee: Laubenberg, TruittAbsent: Kolkhorst; Davis, J;Present not voting: ZerwasThough Rep...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on May 04, 2009 (boomark / email).