Ritter Reverses Course on LEAF Raid

Gov. Bill Ritter said Wednesday that he would not, after all, seek to transfer more than $1 million from the fund to pay law enforcement officers overtime in order to enforce DUI laws on holiday weekends this year.

The governor had said on Tuesday that he would seek to shift the money to drug and alcohol treatment programs. The money in the so-called "LEAF" (for Law Enforcement Assistance Fund) was frozen in an executive order issued by Ritter on Saturday.

Ritter's spokesperson, Evan Dreyer, said the governor has not ruled out asking the legislature to shift LEAF money to drug and alcohol treatment programs in future years.

LEAF was created by the General Assembly in 1983 and is funded by an automatic fine assessed on every person convicted of DUI in the state.