Gotta get to work so I'm going to make this one kind of quick. Check out my diary history over the last three days for some background on Florida Governor Rick Scott's intention to repeal the state's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
Also, a reverse hat tip to John Moyers over at AMERICAblog who picked up on my original post and wrote about the issue better than I did with his post GOP Gov. Rick Scott: Keeping Florida safe for drug dealers on Monday.
New developments below...
So, Gov. Scott is starting to have to answer questions about his position, but he's digging in his heals. AP via the WSJ on-line: Scott sticks with plan to kill Fla. drug tracking
Florida Gov. Rick Scott was unfazed Tuesday by criticism he's getting from out-of-state politicians over his proposal to kill a proposed prescription tracking system designed to crack down on "pill mills" that supply pain killers and other illicit medications to drug dealers and addicts.
Scott said he won't withdraw his budget recommendation to repeal the state's new prescription monitoring law and added a new element to his opposition. He accused the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Foundation of wasting private money that it has raised to pay for the system.
But it's no longer just Hal Rogers (R, KY-05), and Dem Senators Schumer, Whitehouse, (Bill) Nelson and Manchin who are encouraging him to reconsider his repeal plans.
Via Laura Ungar's reporting in Louisville's Courier-Journal, Nation's top drug official focuses on Kentucky's prescription abuse
Calling Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia “ground zero” for prescription drug abuse, White House drug czar R. Gil Kerlikowske said reducing the epidemic will require a greater focus on prevention and treatment — and President Barack Obama's budget request contains more money for both.
“We really haven't given enough attention or money to the public health side of the equation,” Kerlikowske said Tuesday during a visit to Louisville as part of a trip through Kentucky to examine the problem and anti-drug initiatives.
The article is a good read, with most of the focus being on prevention and treatment for addiction. He says that he hasn't been in contact yet with Gov. Scott, but he supports efforts by folks like Gov. Beshear who also wrote to Gov. Scott this week opposing the repeal.
Heading to the subway. Underground for the next hour. I'll be back to check comments later this morning.