Lawmakers Trying to Revive State's Drugtax Stamp Law

Lawmakers trying to prevent convicted drug dealers from seeking hundreds of
thousands of dollars in tax refunds have voted to revive the state's drug tax
stamp law.

Restoration of the law was included in the 199799 state budget that the
Legislature sent to Gov. Tommy Thompson this week.

The state Supreme Court struck down the old tax stamp law as unconstitutional
earlier this year.

"If we hadn't passed this law, we would have had to start handing out checks to
convicted drug dealers," said Assembly Majority Leader Steven Foti,
ROconomowoc.

The state collected about $1 million in the eight years the drug tax stamp law
has been on the books, Revenue Secretary Cate Zeuske said.

But several drug dealers have asked for refunds of the tax, totaling more than
$100,000, she said. Anyone can request a refund within two years of paying the
tax.

The court ruled that the 1989 law violated the constitutional protection against
selfincrimination by requiring drug dealers who bought the stamps to reveal
their names, addresses, and quantity of illegal drugs they possessed.

The tax stamp law was aimed at making it easier to prosecute drug dealers.

The new budget bill would protect the stamp buyers' confidentiality by
prohibiting the department from collecting identifying information.

(Copyright (c) Madison Newspapers, Inc. 1997)