WASHINGTON --- Black Hawk County methamphetamine producers have been among the state's most prolific in recent years, but they may have significant new foes in the nation's capital.

Some of the top U.S. lawmakers, including Iowa Sens. Tom Harkin and Charles Grassley, proposed bipartisan legislation Wednesday designed to limit consumer access to drugs containing pseudoephedrine, one of the primary ingredients in meth.

Because pseudoephedrine can be extracted from such easily available drugs as Sudafed, a popular decongestant, the lawmakers contend the products should be moved behind pharmacy counters where sales can be better monitored.

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