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VOL. 15, NO. 9

NEWS

Legislatures close; issues left undone

By Erik Alsgaard
UMCONNECTION STAFF

The expansion of gambling wasn't the only legislative issue United Methodists were concerned about in the Baltimore-Washington Conference this year, although it certainly took center stage.

Issues ranging from capital punishment to a living wage were tracked in both Annapolis and Charleston, W.Va.

In West Virginia, where slots are already legal, a measure was approved to allow for more machines at a racetrack in Charles Town, in the Frederick District.

'Unfortunately, West Virginia has already sold its gambling soul down the river,' said the Rev. Dennis Sparks, executive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches.

As one of the poorest states in the country, poverty also 'places a great weight' on the legislators' decision-making, Sparks said. 'But coal is one of the primary factors in almost every decision that faces the state.'

In Maryland, where slots were stopped for the second year in a row (see UMConnection April 21, page 1), advocates also worked, for example, on a bill to establish a Commission on Capital Punishment that passed the Senate 30-16, March 26. A House committee, however, later killed the bill.

The measure would have studied capital punishment, and the commission would have held public hearings on the states use of the death penalty.

United Methodism, for years, has opposed capital punishment.

Sandy Ferguson, associate counsel director.

'We need to stop capital punishment, because once somebody is executed, it can't be reversed; they're gone and that's a human life,' Ferguson said.

A proposal that would have banned smoking in the workplace and in places open to the public was killed in a Senate committee.

'We're certainly disappointed,' said Ferguson, 'but we're also looking at the bigger picture.'

Other bills pertaining to health care, medical malpractice suits and drug treatment were monitored, even though, Ferguson admits, not much was changed.

'It's pretty dead for this year,' she said.

In the end, Ferguson gave the Maryland Assembly a grade of 'incomplete.'

'For me, every year is incomplete,' she said, noting the debate on gambling. 'No matter what decision is reached (on slots) this year, we're not stopping. No indeed, we're not. At this point, we're going to beef up educating people.'

The West Virginia legislature ended its session March 21. One of the most significant pieces of legislation it passed was the Pharmaceutical Availability and Affordability Act (HB4048), according to Sparks.

Studies have found that, because of cost constraints, many people are skipping doses of their medications and legislators argued that the current free market system for pharmaceuticals has prevented people from having affordable access to prescription drugs.

The new law will create a West Virginia Pharmaceutical Commission that will obtain favorable pharmaceutical prices.

The act of guaranteeing affordable medications will surely provoke a lawsuit from the drug companies, Sparks said. 'But there is balm in this bill.'

In the future, the council is seeking an even greater advocacy role in West Virginia. More information is available by contacting Sparks at (304) 732-6356 or .

Sumayya Coleman, legislative advocate

'We need to focus on a better way to communicate with the churches and to receive information from churches about their activities,' she said. 'There are a great number of issues already addressed by churches but no real structure in communicating their level of involvement to the conference. Advocacy is the collective voice of the church and can have a powerful impact on creating social change.'

'The power in our denomination is the masses,' Ferguson said. 'It's the people in the pews, it's not us here. It just can't take place with a handful of people on the conference level. We've got to empower the local church because that is still where it's at.'