The Texas Legislature should give a bill (S.B. 188) to establish a needle-exchange program a "fair hearing so that Texas can join the other 49 states in allowing the creation of programs that save lives and save taxpayer money," a San Antonio Express-News editorial says. The bill, authored by state Sen. Bob Deuell (R), was "overwhelmingly approved" by a 23-7 vote in the Senate, which "mirrors the passage of essentially the same bill by a 23-6 margin in 2007," the editorial says. "Unfortunately, the previous bill died an unnatural death" in the House Public Health Committee during the last legislative session after former Rep. Dianne Delisi (R), chair of the committee at the time, "refused to allow the needle-exchange bill to come up for a vote," the editorial continues, adding that Delisi is "no longer in a position to block this important legislation."

The "great myth about needle exchange is that it subsidizes and encourages illegal drug use," the editorial says…