Published: January 22, 2008 07:35 am      

Bill to pump funds into UNITE anticipated

Local News

A bill that would allocate $450,000 for Operation UNITE in order to allow the program to continue running smoothly through the fiscal year is expected to be introduced today in the Kentucky State Senate.

The bill comes in response to the decision by Congress to not earmark any money for the program for this federal fiscal year and only provide around $4.1 million to UNITE for the next fiscal year.

“That’s why we turned to our friends in the state legislature,” Fifth District Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers said.

Senate Bill 97 will allocate the $450,000 from a $12 million pool of funds in the Multi County Economic Regional Development Fund, which is comprised of revenue from the coal severence tax.

“Today is a day of commitment and dreams,” Sen. Robert Sivers (R-Manchester) and co-sponsor of the bill said to approximately 120 coalition representatives from across the UNITE service region Monday. “This is a stop-gap measure to keep Operation UNITE up and running through the end of the fiscal year.”

Operation UNITE was created in 2003 by Rogers as a regional anti-drug initiative empowering citizen groups and community leaders in 29 southern and eastern Kentucky counties. Rogers had secured $8 million during each of UNITE’s first three years of operation and he was able to up that to $9.1 million in 2006-2007.

The organization only received $3.6 million through a budget signed by President George Bush last month, which brings the total budget for UNITE to $9.7 million through the middle of next year.

“UNITE is having an impact. It’s saving lives. We simply cannot let the effort deteriorate. This issue has got to remain a priority,” Rogers said.

Faced with budget cuts, UNITE is down 17 officers from when the program was at its peak, and the organization is looking at further cuts. Rogers said UNITE’s recent decision to scale back its staff by 10 law enforcement officers and one employee each from the education and treatment components resulted from “some bumps” in the federal budget.

“Drugs cause so many problems,” SB 97 co-sponsor Sen. Tom Jensen (R-London) said. “This is an issue that looks beyond district lines and party affiliation. This is something good for the region.”

The legislation, which will carry an emergency clause allowing it to take effect upon Gov. Steve Beshear’s signature, is expected to draw bi-partisan support.

“UNITE has been instrumental in helping treat those suffering from an addiction to illegal or prescription drugs, and in prosecuting the drug dealers who are profiting from the epidemic,” said Sen. Ray S. Jones II (D-Pikeville), who plans to co-sponsor the legislation. “In order for us to have any chance of combating this problem UNITE must be fully funded.”

Stivers said in a press release that he had met with Gov. Beshear Sunday evening and he said he was “pretty confident” about the bill’s chances.

“I can’t guarantee anything, but we are going to be up there and working on it,” Stivers said.

SB 97 could move swiftly through the legislative process and be sent to the governor by the end of January.

UNITE, which stands for Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment & Education, seeks to expand drug awareness and education programs, coordinate drug treatment and outreach rograms for those who are already addicted, and operate regional undercover law enforcement task forces for intercdiction and prosecution of those involved in illegal drugs.