Bill dealing with pregnant drug addicts will likely die in House

The Iowa Senate has approved a bill which would force pregnant drug addicts into a drug treatment program, but House leaders say the bill will NOT become law this year. Senator David Miller, a republican from Libertyville, says getting a pregnant mom who’s on crack into drug treatment is important to society.Senator Elaine Szymoniak (zuh-MOAN’-ee-ak), a democrat from Des Moines, supported the bill, but worried there are few programs in Iowa which treat pregnant women who are drug addicts.Senator Pat Harper, a democrat from Waterloo, said the bill created a “prison sentence” for pregnant women who were addicted to drugs.Harper said a drug addict has to choose to fight to get clean. There isn’t money in the state budget this year to treat pregnant drug addicts forcibly enrolled in drug treatment, so the bill won’t go into effect until next year. The bill passed the Senate on a 32 to 17 vote and but will NOT pass a House committee today, which is a deadline day for action on the bill.