Pubdate: Wed, 23 Mar 2005
Source: Charleston Daily Mail (WV)
Copyright: 2005 Charleston Daily Mail
Contact:  http://www.dailymail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/76
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

SENATE PASSES METH BILL UNANIMOUSLY

The Senate has unanimously passed a bill that aims to control 
over-the-counter medicines and other items needed to manufacture 
methamphetamine, but the narrow defeat of amendments seeking to add some 
penalties may signal more debate when the legislation reaches the House.

The bill seeks to halt the spread of makeshift drug labs in West Virginia 
by limiting the availability of cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine 
- -- a crucial ingredient of the illegal narcotic.

Senate Minority Leader Vic Sprouse sought to add penalties for 
methamphetamine laboratories within 1,000 feet of a school, injuries 
suffered by first responders to a lab and possessing pseudoephedrine with 
the intent to manufacture drugs near a school.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Kessler argued the amendments were not 
specific enough and would create extra laws relating specifically to 
methamphetamine crimes.

Kessler, D-Marshall, said he would work with Senate Republicans and their 
House counterparts to clean up the language, but urged rejection of the 
three amendments, which failed by votes of 17-17, 15-19 and 10-24.

House Minority Leader Charles Trump, R-Morgan, said he would consider 
readdressing the failed Senate amendments when the bill reaches the House 
floor.

But House Judiciary Chairman Jon Amores said he did not expect many 
changes. "So much effort has already been applied in the Senate, in terms 
of reconciling the objectives of the bill with the science of the bill," 
said Amores, D-Kanawha.

The legislation would restrict customers to the purchase of three packages 
a month of the about dozen cold medicines using pseudoephedrine as the sole 
active ingredient, and would establish penalties ranging from misdemeanors 
to felonies for possession of various chemicals.

- -- including pseudoephedrine, iodine and anhydrous ammonia -- with the 
intent to produce methamphetamine.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom