Panel: Legislators Shouldn't Work Drunk

[tocqueville]

Mon May 22, 8:03 PM ET

SALEM, Ore. - Oregon legislators and staff members should not be drunk while performing their official duties, a citizen panel says.

The Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature adopted that recommendation Monday, although the panel decided to leave it to House and Senate leaders to draft rules against intoxication and possible penalties.

"We were uncomfortable acting as a nanny," said Kerry Tymchuk, a commission member and state director for U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (news, bio, voting record), R-Ore.

The new policy was suggested by Steve Doell, president of Crime Victims United, who said he and another member of the group noticed alcohol on the breath of at least one legislator at the end of the 2005 session while they were advocating tougher drunken-driving penalties.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060523/ap_on_fe_st/legislators_drinking_2

[Syrinx]

1. priceless

Drunk legislators wanting to crack down on drunkenness. :rofl:

[depakid]

2. The laws were pretty draconian, too

Not only did we have drunk legislators passing insane DUI laws, but we had at least one member using Meth while passing draconian meth/cold medication laws.

Yep- we have a lot of faith in Salem.

[Syrinx]

5. I'm glad stupid stuff happens in blue states too...

Well, actually I'm not, come to think of it.

I've got a cousin that moved out to Oregon. I don't talk to him much, but he loves it out there. Portland, I think.

[Kutjara]

3. Yeah, they shouldn't work stupid either...

...but that's going to be a difficult one to enforce.

[Bluebear]

4. How about Presidents? nt