One the most widely supported bills at the Capitol, a bill that changes the way Utah's justice system handles drug addicts, may be in danger of being axed in favor of other budget priorities such as roads and education.

SB22, the Drug Offender Reform Act, or DORA, sailed through the Senate, and its hefty price tag has tied it up in House Rules.

Once confident that the bill would pass after two prior attempts in the past two years, DORA sponsor Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, now believes that the ever-growing hunger for transportation funding and other needs may spell disaster for his bill.

State drug rehabilitation experts have called DORA the most profound proposed change to Utah's criminal justice system in over 100 years — and long overdue in solving Utah's growing prison population.

The bill would divert first-time drug offenders into intensive drug treatment instead of jail, under the theory that 80 percent of all inmates in Utah have an underlying drug problem, so rehabilitation will save the state money in incarceration costs and related services.

DORA has been endorsed by legislative leadership, the Utah attorney general and the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has indicated his support for DORA but has placed it below many other priorities, including transportation, education, law enforcement raises and Medicaid.

Now, rumblings on the Hill indicate that DORA may be in jeopardy of being passed over for a third year.

"I guess it's just short-sighted in my opinion," Buttars said.

In trade for solving Utah's drug crisis, he said lawmakers want to funnel millions of dollars more into roads. "Roads is a black hole that goes on forever," Buttars said. "The cost savings of human misery is incalculable."

Rep. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley, House budget manager, said there has been no discussion about funding DORA since the bill was sent to the House on Jan. 26.

Bigelow said the answer to DORA's fate could come as early as today, when the House needs to have its budget finalized.

Meantime, Buttars remains optimistic, pointing to the fact that the Senate Republican Caucus voted unanimously to support DORA.

"I have great hopes we will get it," Buttars said.

Huntsman's chief of staff, Jason Chaffetz, has said the governor put the bill lower on his priority list but is willing to sign the bill if lawmakers decide they want to spend the money for it.

The Senate has taken a position in support of DORA that has not yet been agreed to by the House.

Senate Majority Leader Pete Knudson, R-Brigham City, said the issue is money.

"Therein lies the problem. We support it and we will fund it if we can find the money," he said. However, Knudson said, "it hasn't appeared on the radar screen of the House yet."

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