Methuen State Senator James
Jajuga is nearing a victory on his free needle
exchange program. Last week the House of
Representatives passed the senate budget
amendment and sent it to Governor Cellucci’s
office to be signed. If Cellucci’s signs the
budget, the state Commissioner of Public Health
will have the sole authority to locate needle
exchange programs anywhere in the Commonwealth
without prior approval from local municipalities.
Mayor Dowling, who claimed to oppose the bill,
took no overt action to prevent the bill’s
passage in the House or Senate. When questioned
on WCCM’s “Hot Line” program about
the lack of action by local officials, Dowling
said she had spoken to several people about the
measure and named several officials whom she
“spoke with.”
The Mayor admitted that she had not actually done
anything to stop the free needle program other
than talk to officials about the budget
amendment. When pressed about the difference
between talking about it and doing something abut
it Dowling responded verbatim, “We could
waste a whole day and just run around doing
something about it, but I think I’m doing
the right thing to try and speak out against it.”
(tapes available upon request)
City Councilor Mike Sullivan told Rumbo he would
be placing the item on the City Council agenda
for discussion last month opposing the bill, yet
failed to do so before the House and Senate
approved it. Ralph Carrero officially asked the
School Committee to send a strong letter to the
Governor and State Legislature opposing the
program. No other member would support the letter
including the Mayor’s four votes on the
committee. Carol Bannon, an employee of Mayor
Dowling, expressed her opposition to the free
needles but then left the table when the vote
came up.
Massachusetts AIDS statistics show Lynn,
Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Springfield and
Worcester have the highest rates of infection in
the state. Jajuga has argued that the needles
will reduce the number of drug users infected
with aides by locating the program in communities
with high rates of infection. Local officials in
Springfield, Worcester and Lawrence have already
spoken out in opposition to the program saying
the free needles are being forced down their
throats in violation of local control.
Governor Cellucci vetoed the bill. “The
Governor has not been supportive of a statewide
budget amendment for a needle exchange program.
We do offer assistance through the Department of
Public Health for any cities and towns that wish
to do it on their own because the Governor is in
favor of local control. This bill violates local
control and the Governor will not be supporting
it.” said Shawn Feddeman of the Governor’s
office.
The needle exchange budget amendment can still be
passed if the Legislature over-rides that veto by
a two thirds majority. Should that happen,
outrage by local citizens will fall on deaf ears
when needles begin to hit the streets in 2001.
There will be no chance for appeal once the
measure becomes law.
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