EDITORIAL : SUSPEND THE LAW, NOT LICENSES CALIFORNIA'S LAWMAKERS SHOULD SAY ``NO'' TO FEDERAL BULLYING.

THE ``smoke a joint, lose your license'' law is up for renewal in California, and we wish state lawmakers would snuff this one out quickly while there's still time to save the republic.

California's law - suspending driver's licenses of those convicted of drug offenses, whether or not the person was driving at the time - is scheduled to expire March 1. If state lawmakers refuse to extend it, the state will lose $92 million a year in federal highway funds.

What clever little mischief makers are those elected representatives in Washington. Taking away someone's driver's license for an act not related to driving allows Congress to imprison people in their homes without spending a dime of taxpayer money.

For example, if suspending a person's driver's license serves as a better deterrent to drug use than jail time, then why not take away a drug user's cell phone, or cancel his or her cable TV?

Better still, ``smoke a joint, lose your Web site.'' Now that's real punishment.

Make no mistake. We're not advocating the legalization of drugs. That's not the point. Drug abuse is serious. Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol kills thousands of people each year. Those caught driving while under the influence should have their licenses suspended and be punished severely.

But extending that punishment to people who are not driving at the time eliminates the logical connection between crime and punishment, thus setting the stage for a host of unrelated punishments designed to wipe out bad behavior.

And we haven't even mentioned the bully aspect of this bill. Congress is holding hostage federal highway money to force states to comply with this silly and unreasoned law. Washington doesn't have enough of its own problems? It has to meddle in state issues?

This is one time members of Congress should stay in Washington and leave the driving to someone else.