Drug Policy Alliance publishes congressional voter guide

[High Plains]

DPA is the leading drug policy reform organization in the country. The voter guide weighs representatives on six key votes, as well as "other factors, including their support for major drug policy reform legislation."

Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee is the best, in DPA's view, Rep. James Sensenbrenner the worst.

How does your representative fare?

http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/voterguide013106.cfm
(includes link to actual PDF file of guide)


2006 Drug Policy Reform Congressional Voter Guide
A Survey of The U.S. House of Representatives on Drug Policy Reform: A Report by the Drug Policy Alliance Network

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The core mission of the Drug Policy Alliance Network (DPAN), the nation’s leading drug policy reform organization, is to advance those policies and attitudes that best reduce the harms of both drug abuse and the war on drugs, and to protect the sovereignty of individuals over their minds and bodies.

DPAN’s federal vision includes cost-effective policies to protect public health, public safety, the public purse, federalism, and American values of liberty, equality and justice. Among DPAN's specific Congressional priorities are: removing barriers to substance abuse treatment; eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing; cutting wasteful drug war spending; prohibiting the federal government from undermining state medical marijuana laws; and implementing policies to reduce drug overdoses and the spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Evaluation of U.S Representatives is based on several nonpartisan criteria. Most important to this survey was how they voted on the following six pieces of legislation:

House Vote 245 – Amendment to HR 2862 on Justice Assistance Grants: increasing funding to the corrupt and troubled Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program (DPAN opposed);

House Vote 255 – Amendment to HR 2862 on Medical Marijuana: prohibiting the DEA from undermining state medical marijuana laws (DPAN supported);

House Vote 264 – Amendment to HR 2862 on Racial Conviction Distribution: requiring local narcotics taskforces that receive federal money to ban racial profiling and report their convictions by race (DPAN supported);

House Vote 329 – Amendment to HR 3057 on the Andean Counterdrug Initiative: cutting funding to the counterproductive Andean Counterdrug Initiative (DPAN supported);

House Vote 344 – Amendment to HR 3058 on the National Youth Anti-Drug Campaign: increasing funding to the failed anti-marijuana media campaign (DPAN opposed); and

House Vote 435 – S 45: Drug Addiction Treatment: lifting the 30-patient limit on group practices for treating people who struggle with addiction to heroin and other opioids through buprenorphine-assisted approaches (DPAN supported).

Other factors were also considered in evaluating members of Congress, including their support for major drug policy reform legislation.

Highlights of the 2006 Drug Policy Reform Congressional Voter Guide:



Perfect Scores: 33 Representatives voted the right way on all six amendments, receiving perfect scores.

Five out of Six: 70 Representatives voted the right way on five of the amendments.

Room for Hope: No Representative voted the wrong way on all six amendments.

One out of Six: 69 Representatives voted the wrong way on five of the amendments.

The Drug Policy Alliance's 2005 "Champion" was Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), the only member to vote the right way on all six of the floor amendments and to cosponsor all four of the major drug policy reform bills

The Drug Policy Alliance Network's 2005 "Heroes" were Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (RCA), and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA).
The Drug Policy Alliance Network's 2005 "Villain" was Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI).
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[High Plains]

1. I wish Democrats would pick up and run with this issue.

[High Plains]

2. Hello, anybody out there? Hello?