Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/294060
By Fenit Nirappil The Associated Press SACRAMENTO » The Assem- bly voted Thursday to make permanent a program that allows pharmacies to sell sy- ringes to drug users as a way to prevent diseases spread by needle-sharing. AB1743 by Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, passed on a largely party- line, 43-26 vote and heads to the Senate. The bill also removes a 30-syringe limit, making California the 46th state to allow for bulk sy - ringe sales. Ting's office esti- mates a 100-syringe box can cost about $30, while a single syringe is less than a dollar. Ting said his bill is sup - ported by public health data showing that increasing ac- cess to clean syringes is ben- eficial. Hundreds of California pharmacies started sell- ing syringes as part of a pi- lot program in 2005. After a California Department of Public Health study found the sales reduced needle sharing and did not increase drug-related crime, legisla - tors expanded the program statewide in 2012. It is set to expire at the end of the year without new legislation. "This is a very simple but very effective strategy to re - ally stop the spread of these deadly diseases," Ting said. The public health study was not able to accurately measure how syringe sales changed infection rates for HIV and Hepatitis B and C. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health experts generally agree that access to clean syringes reduces the spread of such diseases. California law enforce - ment groups opposed the bill, saying the studies' findings do not align with their offi- cers' day-to-day experiences. The bill also comes as states are reporting a rise in heroin use as addicts turn to the drug as a cheaper alter - native to prescription opiates. Ting said his bill helps the fight against addiction by put- ting drug users in regular con- tact with public health profes- sionals. Under the program, pharmacists are required to talk to people buying sy- ringes and provide informa- tion about drug treatment and disease testing. Over-the-counter syringe sales complement Califor - nia's 37 needle exchanges, which provide free syringes. Amanda Fulkerson, a spokeswoman for Assem - bly Republicans, said some lawmakers opposed making the program permanent. In- stead, they wanted periodic reviews so the law could be reassessed or altered as nec- essary, she said. hEAlTh Ph ar ma cy s yr in ge s al es bill advances in Assembly Rich PedRoncelli — The AssociATed PRess Assemblyman Phil Ting, d-san Francisco, called on lawmakers to approve his bill that allows pharmacies to sell syringes to drug users, at the state capitol Thursday. By Juliet Williams The Associated Press SACRAMENTO » The board that oversees the California High-Speed Rail Author- ity approved a new business plan to submit to state law- makers Thursday, reflecting lower revenue projections but leaving the 2028 time- line for finishing the $68 bil- lion bullet train unchanged despite legal setbacks that could cause delays. The 2014 plan is an update required every two years for the proposed 520-mile sys - tem linking Northern and Southern California. It will be submitted to lawmakers, but they are not required to take any action on it. Among the changes ad - opted since 2012 is a lower projection for revenue, prompt e d by re s ea rch showing Californians are taking shorter but more fre - quent trips. Revenue is ex- pected to be 5 percent lower than originally projected by 2025 and 10 percent lower by 2040, but the authority says it still will be able to operate without taxpayer subsidies. The new business plan does not affect the status of two court rulings being con - sidered by a state appellate court, which rail authority officials have warned could cause serious delays if they are not overturned. Sacramento County Su - perior Court Judge Michael Kenny concluded that the project no longer complies with the promises made to voters when they approved selling nearly $10 billion in bonds for it in 2008. He also ordered the authority to write a new financing plan explaining how the state will pay for the first 300 miles of construction. The business plan ad - opted Thursday is separate from that financing plan. It provides a blueprint for how the rail line would operate and sets benchmarks for its various phases. The rail authority has not set an official ground - breaking date for the first section of track, a roughly 3 0 - m i le s e g m e nt f r om Madera to Fresno. Instead, it says engineering work is ongoing and it is trying to buy the needed land or ac - quire it through eminent domain. CAliFORNiA High-speed rail board adopts new business plan By Don Thompson The Associated Press SACRAMENTO » A federal judge ruled Thursday that California's treatment of mentally ill inmates violates constitutional safeguards against cruel and unusual punishment through exces - sive use of pepper spray and isolation. U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Karlton in Sacra - mento gave the corrections department time to issue updated policies on the use of both methods but did not ban them. He offered a range of op - tions on how officials could limit the use of pepper spray and isolation units when dealing with more than 33,000 mentally ill in - mates, who account for 28 percent of the 120,000 in- mates in California's major prisons. The ruling came after the public release of vid - eotapes made by prison g ua rds show i ng them throwing chemical gre- nades and pumping large amounts of pepper spray into the cells of mentally ill inmates, some of whom are heard screaming. "Most of the videos were horrific," Karlton wrote in his 74-page order. Prison officials already promised to make some changes in how much pep - per spray they use and how long mentally ill in- mates can be kept in isola- tion, but attorneys repre- senting inmates said those changes did not go nearly far enough. Karlton gave the state 60 days to work with his court- appointed special master to further revise its policy for using force against men - tally ill inmates. pRiSONS Judge: Mentally ill inmates mistreated By Kevin Freking The Associated Press WAShiNGTON » Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Thursday she has dropped $300 mil- lion in emergency spending from drought-relief legisla- tion to try to improve pros- pects for getting the bill passed. Most parts of California are under extreme drought conditions. In February, Feinstein and other sena - tors from the West intro- duced legislation designed to increase water supplies and offset some of the eco- nomic damage caused by the drought. Feinstein said Thursday she had intro- duced a new version of that bill. The new bill will con- tinue a focus on regula- tory relief. It mandates that federal agencies open channel gates on the Sac- ramento River as long as possible without endan- gering salmon populations. The gates are closed dur- ing certain times for fish- ery protection. The bill also mandates that federal agencies use "f lexibility" within exist - ing law to pump more wa- ter to farmers through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It also speeds up federal decision-making in a pro - gram that offers low-in- terest loans for new water projects, and extends the amount of time that local agencies have to pay back the loans. The bill does increase the authorized caps for two existing drought re - lief programs by $100 mil- lion, but there's no guar- a ntee the ex tra money would be included when Congress takes up spend- ing bills for the coming fiscal year. WEST Fe ins te in t we ak s dr ou gh t bill to improve prospects Fri., April 11 th RD 93 2014 HERITAGE FILM FESTIVAL Shasta College Heritage Film Festival Screening of "Wyatt Earp" 5pm doors open 6:30pm film starts BOOT SCOOTING 101 Country Concert with Country Swing & Country 2-Step Tutorial 8-11 pm, Round Up Saloon 610 Washington St. Stromer Realty (530) 527-3100 590 Antelope Blvd. Bldg. 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