Yesterday we railed against New York's draconian Rockefeller drug laws. We are delighted to learn that New York gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo yesterday urged their repeal and proposed a new sentencing plan for drug offenders.

Cuomo correctly branded the current laws as "probably the most personal, the most human manifestation" of Albany's failings."

Critics of the current laws charge that "first-time, nonviolent offenders' [are] serving 15 years or more in prison when many would be better served by drug treatment." And as with most mandatory minimum sentencing schemes, judicial discretion is removed and low-level offenders often get more time than kingpins.

Governor Pataki has paid lip service to the problem in his efforts to win the hispanic vote. His proposed plan fell far short of what is needed, and the democrats wisely wouldn't settle for it.

Blacks and Hispanics account for more than 90 percent of the 19,000 people in New York prisons for drug offenses.

We hope this brings it home for Cuomo.