Assembly Panel to Hold Monday Hearing on Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

The Assembly Human Services committee will meet Monday afternoon to hear from invited speakers regarding the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, which was recently criticized by the Office of the State Comptroller. The committee is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m.. Monday, Jan. 26, in Committee Room 15, Fourth Floor, State House Annex, West State Street, Trenton.

Following the hearing, the committee will consider legislation sponsored by Assemblywomen Sheila Oliver, Connie Wagner and Elease Evans that responds to the audit by the state comptroller that found numerous problems within the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction. The bill (A-3686) would move the independent council to the state Department of Human Services.

It comes after the comptroller found the council spent money on a petting zoo and pony rides but failed to evaluate prevention programs. The audit found numerous weaknesses, including questionable invoices, incomplete or missing grantee reviews and staff with few or no job responsibilities.

Oliver (D-Essex), chairwoman of the Assembly Human Services Committee, has called the audit a "shocking wake up call." "To see money going places other than for direct assistance for addiction is not just a smack in the face to taxpayers, but to the very people these programs are supposed to help," said Oliver. "This audit is shocking to everyone concerned with combating the scourge of alcoholism and drug addiction..”

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