Pubdate: Sun, 27 Mar 2005
Source: News-Review, The (Roseburg, OR)
Copyright: 2005 The News-Review
Contact:  http://www.newsreview.info
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2623
Author: John Sowell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

BUDGET, METH FIGHT FOCUS OF LEGISLATORS' TOWN HALL MEETING

The past three months, Rep. Susan Morgan has spent most of her time in
the basement of the state Capitol, immersed for six hours a day in
budget discussions.

Therefore, the Republican from Green said she was glad to get away
Friday from Salem, on a day when the Oregon Legislature wasn't in
session because of Easter weekend. Traditionally, the day is set aside
for legislators to return to their districts to work and Morgan came
to Roseburg with Sen. Jeff Kruse for a joint town hall meeting.

Morgan, vice chairwoman of the Joint Ways & Means Committee, told the
audience of about 40 people who attended the gathering at the Douglas
County Library that her fellow budget committee members have been
working hard to craft a workable budget to serve the state for the
next two years.

The most recent revenue projections released last month predicted the
state will take in an extra $202 million. That, along with a ruling by
the Oregon Supreme Court that the Legislature won't have to refund
$113 million kept four years ago from the income tax kicker refund,
has made the job a bit easier.

Still, the Legislature has to face the reality that the $12.3 billion
in projected revenue is $300 to $400 million short of what is needed
to maintain current services.

This year's budget process has involved ranking the various services
of state government. Once the lists are drawn up, services that fall
above a certain line will be funded while those that cross below the
line will not.

The idea is to make agencies responsible for ensuring that they're
performing up to expectations, Morgan said. Rather than just allotting
agencies money based on their past budgets, they're being asked to
justify the money spent.

"We've been working on that very hard," said Morgan, who hopes the
budget can be passed by the end of June.

Kruse said he expects the Legislature to take a strong stand in trying
to deal with the growing methamphetamine problem in Oregon. Use of the
highly addictive drug is rampant throughout the state and law
enforcement officials blame the problem for much of the burglaries and
other street crime.

There are at least 40 bills floating through the Legislature that deal
with some aspect of methamphetamine abuse.

"The fix is going to take some real money, both in law enforcement and
in human services," said Kruse, a Roseburg Republican.

With the meth problem continuing to escalate, Morgan said she was glad
the Legislature has woken up to that reality.

"Senator Kruse and I have worked on this issue for a long time. It's
very gratifying to us that it has finally reached critical mass with
the Legislature and is being dealt with," Morgan said.

Both she and Kruse praised Douglas County's use of a drug court to
turn around the lives of addicts of methamphetamine and other illegal
drugs. They said the program run by Douglas County Circuit Judge
Robert Millikan has been instrumental in making a difference.

"You deserve a lot of credit and thank you for your dedication," Kruse
told Millikan.

Kruse and Morgan said they believe there is strong support for opening
drug courts in other Oregon counties that don't currently have them.

In answer to a question from the audience, both Kruse and Morgan said
they oppose efforts to mandate the use of fluoride. A bill before the
Legislature would require fluoride in municipal water supplies of
cities of 10,000 people or more, but would not provide any money for
the added cost. Cities could opt out if they decided they could not
afford the expense for adding fluoride, which health professionals say
would cut the number of cavities suffered by children.

"If the people of Roseburg want fluoride, then there's nothing to stop
them from getting fluoride," Kruse said. "However, this isn't an issue
that should be decided by the state."

Kruse said he has been working to pass a bill that would allowed
retired medical doctors to volunteer at health clinics and be exempt
from liability risks. He said many communities along the coast and in
central Oregon have doctors who have moved there after retiring who
would be willing to work part-time for free at a local clinic, but who
now are discouraged because of liability concerns.

The idea for the bill was suggested by former Rep. Bill Markham, who
was the longest-serving member of the Legislature before he retired in
January 1999 due to term limits after 14 terms.

"That's going to become law, as there isn't any opposition to it,"
Kruse said, nodding to Markham, who was in the audience.

Kruse and Morgan will appear at a second joint town hall April 22 in
Myrtle Creek. It will take place at Myrtle Creek City Hall from 11
a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin