Weekend, September 11-14, 2014 - The Daily Cardinal

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Weekend, September 11-14, 2014

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County fighting ‘heroin epidemic’ By Patricia Johnson THE DAILY CARDINAL

With fatal heroin overdoses on the rise, Dane County law enforcement has taken action to seek a cure for the “heroin epidemic” infecting community members. The number of heroin-related deaths in Dane County “skyrocketed” by 50 percent in 2012, according to a blog post from Madison Police Chief Michael Koval. Madison Police Department Lt. Jason Freedman, the Dane County Narcotics Task Force commander, said the force has focused primarily on heroin in response to the concerning increase in drug use over the past three to four years. “The good news is, down the road, I think we are going to reduce the number of people who get hooked on this drug,” Freedman said. The recent affinity for the opiate has its roots in new phar-

Judge rules same-sex adoption constitutional A Dane County Circuit Court judge ruled Wednesday a Wisconsin lesbian couple’s adoption of two children was constitutional, according to an article by the Wisconsin State Journal. The couple was married in Iowa, and Judge Shelley Gaylord ruled that people in such marriages should be constitutionally allowed to adopt under state law. The scope of the ruling may include only the lesbian couple, though, because it is unlikely the couple will appeal to a higher court. Dana Brueck, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen’s spokesperson, said in the article a trial court judge’s ruling does not necessarily set the precedent for other courts. The Department of Justice previously declined to defend state adoption laws unless the case goes to an appeals court. The couple, Kat and Teresa Riley, gave birth to a boy and a girl respectively, with the help of a sperm donor. The adoption gives each child benefits from both parents. The ruling holds a level of urgency for Kat, a Madison Police Department detective. Under the ruling, if she is killed in the line of duty, financial and state benefits go to both children instead of just her biological child. The Rileys are not the first

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maceutical practices that limit access to prescription drugs, Freedman said. Pharmacies are distributing smaller and fewer doses with tamper-proofing to prevent formulation changes in prescribed drugs. “You have sort of a command and control on the opiate that has significantly improved over the last few years,” Freedman said, “[which] will reduce the number of future addicts, hopefully, but it puts stress on the current addicts because they can’t get what they want when they need [it].” The Dane County Narcotics Task Force has worked alongside other agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration to prosecute heroin distributors large and small, according to Freedman. While city police regularly come across small-time heroin dealers, Freedman said the force “really likes” to find large scale dealers who bring in $10,000

to $50,000 worth of revenue. Freedman said the force has made several heroin-related arrests this year with some cases going through either state or federal courts. Attempts to reduce heroin use are in place across Dane County in addition to police services, according to Freedman. Sue Moran, clinical director of Journey Mental Health Center, said many programs are available to assist with addiction recovery, such as the Dane County drug court and the county’s pilot program called the Jail-Opiate Project. Heroin users arrested for nonviolent offenses have the opportunity to participate in drug courts, which offer individuals treatment services, according to Moran. Individuals must be referred by their attorney or screened into the court, where they meet with a

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GRAPHIC BY CAMERON GRAFF

Senators, panel discuss police militarization By Dana Kampa THE DAILY CARDINAL

ABIGAIL WALDO/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., was among the politicians hearing from a five-person panel on militarization of police forces.

The U.S. Senate Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee held a hearing on the militarization of police forces Wednesday evening in response to issues brought up following the Ferguson shooting. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and fellow senators questioned a five person panel of experts concerning the use of military weapons in community law enforcement agencies. “We must change the paradigm which drives the criminal justice system,” Hilary Shelton, NAACP Washington bureau director & senior vice president for advocacy, said. Panelist Wiley Price, a St. Louis American newspaper photojournalist present at the Ferguson protests, suggested using federal funds for additional training and police body cameras rather than for large weapons. However, Jim Bueermann,

Police Foundation president and a former California police department chief, warned against completely eliminating federal aid. He said policing agencies should reflect the communities they serve. Panelist Peter Kraska, a University of Eastern Kentucky School of Justice professor, said he hopes to avoid a “troubling and consequential trend.” “This is not to imply all police … are heading in this direction,” Kraska said. Sen. Johnson took particular interest in the role of the war on drugs in the militarization of policing officers, questioning the root cause of firepower escalations. “Are we making any progress on the war on drugs?” Johnson asked of the panel. Shelton spoke of the “devastating” effects of drugs and crime to communities, citing the 2.4

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Walker commends new process to make optional voter ID affordable A new process of verifying documents needed to get photo identification cards for voting will help make obtaining free government voter ID cards easier, according to a joint release from the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Health Services. The new process involves the free verification of underlying documents, such as a birth certificate, for anyone who wants an ID to vote, beginning

“Guardians,” “LEGO” and the art of storytelling

Sept. 15. Gov. Scott Walker stressed the need to provide access to legal identification for voters in a statement Wednesday. “While most voters have identification, or the ability to get an ID, this verification system provides an option for the very small number of people who do not, without any cost to them,” Walker said in the statement. State Sen. Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, hailed the

statement and said she was “ecstatic the Governor Walker administration addressed the problem of the few electors without ID.” She said the program is a great example of cutting through bureaucracy. “Voter ID establishes a level of integrity in our election process that is sorely lacking, and voter ID adds confidence to our democracy,” Lazich said in the statement. The Department of

Transportation also released a statement Wednesday supporting the new process. “We are working to ensure that individuals seeking a Wisconsin ID are able to satisfactorily prove their identity through a seamless process,” said DHS State Registrar Oskar Anderson in the statement. Voters are not required to have an ID to participate in the November elections. —­Siddharth Pandey

UW set for home opener + ARTS, page 3

+ SPORTS, page 8

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”


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