Statesman Journal from Salem, Oregon • Page 15

Monday, January 31, 2005 Statesman Journal 3C term? I I wi Legislators develop proposals to fight epidemic Legislature HOUSE CONVENES: 11:15 a.m. SENATE CONVENES: 11:15 a.m. Governor 10 A.M. TODAY: News conference to unveil plans to expand health insurance for children and families, Capitol 2 P.M. TUESDAY: Speaks at economic forecast 2005 conference of Eugene Chamber of Commerce and University of Oregon, Eugene Hilton and Conference Center Governor plans to unveil a package of 8 to 10 bills that crack down on drug v- ij I ft, Vh f.

ei Hearings TODAY SENATE At "turn 3 -r .4,. ANDREA J. WRIGHT I Statesman Journal A Salem police officer carries chemicals and paraphernalia out of a meth-lab house in Salem last year. Bills proposed in the Oregon Legislature to fight the drug include increased criminal penalties for cooking meth. REVENUE: 9 a.m., Hearing Room A HEALTH POLICY: 1p.m., HRB JUDICIARY: 1 p.m., Room 343 EDUCATIONWORKFORCE: 3 p.m., HR ENVIRONMENTLAND USE: 3 p.m., HR TRANSPORTATION: 3 p.m., Room 50 HOUSE BUSINESS, LABOR AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS: 8:30 a.m., HR HEALTHHUMAN SERVICES: 8:30 a.m., HR JUDICIARYCIVIL LAW: 8:30 a.m., Room 357 TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: 8:30 a.m., Room 343 EDUCATION: 1 p.m., HRE TRANSPORTATION: 1 p.m., HR WATER: 1 p.m., Room 357 LAND USE: 1:30 p.m., Room 50 REVENUE: 1:30 p.m., HR A TRANSPORTATION: 3 p.m., Room 50.

Joint meeting with Senate Transportation Committee Meth crackdown THE PROBLEM: Methamphetamine, a cheap and highly addictive drug, has ravaged the state, especially rural and poor areas. WHAT'S HAPPENING: Gov. Ted Kulongoski is preparing to release eight to 10 bills that will comprehensively address the methamphetamine epidemic, from finding meth cooks to establishing recovery programs. WHAT'S NEXT: An adviser to Gov. Kulongoski said he expects vigorous debate among lawmakers but expects that a package of laws will be passed this session.

meth problem, one step recently initiated by Kulongoski has generated some controversy. A grocery industry group has criticized the governor's move to limit the availability of meth ingredients by requiring people to show identification when buying some over-the-counter cold medicines. The rules, adopted by the state Board of Pharmacy in October, target those cold remedies because they contain the main ingredients used in the illicit manufacture of meth. Some grocery industry representatives said that the rule is overly burdensome on consumers, and Campbell said he expects the issue to come up during the 2005 Legislature. "There are some grocers who are not real thrilled with us placing restrictions on the sale" of cold medicines, he said.

"There will be some legislators who will back them up on that, but not a lot of them." The targeted medicines no longer can be sold in grocery stores unless they have a pharmacy. That dispute aside, Trumbo said he and other county sheriffs are counting on the state to help local law enforcement authorities combat meth producers while also providing more treatment for addicts. "Somebody once asked me what I thought was the biggest threat to homeland security, and I said methamphetamine. It's a problem that just goes on and on," the Umatilla County official said. By Brad Cain The Associated Press Carol Royal says that her northeast Salem neighborhood used to be a safe, family-friendly area.

Now there are two condemned drug houses within a block of Royal's home symbols of the methamphetamine epidemic gripping her neighborhood. "I used to walk everywhere, but not now. I don't feel safe anymore," the 63-year-old retired insurance agent said. Across the state, Umatilla County Sheriff John Trumbo has been waging what sometimes feels like a losing battle against a drug that is blamed for a rising tide of property crimes and child-abuse cases. The mostly rural Eastern Oregon county has the unhappy distinction of having the highest per-capita number of meth lab seizures of any Oregon county.

Ninety-one of the highly toxic labs were raided last year, Trumbo said. "At some point, the state is going to have to stand up and say, 'Enough is he said. That day could be approaching, as Gov. Ted Kulongoski and members of the Oregon Legislature prepare new state initiatives against the production and use of the inexpensive, highly addictive drug. Within the next few weeks, the governor plans to introduce a package of eight to 10 bills intended to crack down on methamphetamine.

Among other plans, the governor will propose a statewide law enforcement team to hunt for meth operations, increased penalties for cooking meth when a child is present, and long-term-treatment programs to try to get people off the drug. This past week, Senate Republicans issued their own package of proposals that put more emphasis on a get-tough approach. The bills would create mandatory minimum sentences for JOINT have a big impact on the problem because there are hundreds of meth labs in Oregon in which amateurs using everyday ingredients are making the drug. "The mom-and-pop meth labs are where your crime circles are, where children often are present and where there is an immediate danger to the community," Campbell said. Law enforcement officials estimate that methamphematime is responsible for 85 percent of the state's property and identity-theft crimes.

The state's top child-protection officials recently told a legislative committee that 70 percent of the state's 7,000 children in foster care come from homes torn apart by methamphetamine. "The methamphetamine problem alone is driving our system in a way that none of us could have anticipated 10 years ago," Ramona Foley told lawmakers. Although there's general agreement about the need to deal with Oregon's meth dealers, producers and users and stiffen penalties for possession of chemicals used to make meth. Sen. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, notes that many meth-lab seizures have occurred near schools and day-care centers.

"I call it a scourge, because I don't know of anything worse than this meth epidemic we are dealing with," she said. Kulongoski's adviser on meth issues, Craig Campbell, expects vigorous debate about the issue, but he thinks the governor and Legislature will come together on a package of new laws. "Everyone you talk to in the Legislature really understands that this is a huge problem," Campbell said. "I can't remember a time when we've had this much interest in a single issue." There are limits to what the state can do to tackle the problem, given that most of the methamphetamine that's used in Oregon is produced in "super-labs" in California and elsewhere. Still, the legislative proposals could WAYS AND MEANSEDUCATION: 8:30 a.m., HR WAYS AND MEANSGENERAL GOVERNMENT: 8:30 a.m., H-174 WAYS AND MEANSHUMAN SERVICES: 8:30 a.m., HR WAYS AND MEANSNATURAL RESOURCES: 1 p.m., H-174 WAYS AND MEANSPUBLIC SAFETY: 1 p.m., H-170 WAYS AND MEANSTRANSPORTATION: 1 p.m., HR Veterans, jobs are top priorities Lobbyist appointed to House seat louse District 24 Statesman Journal Donna Nelson of McMin- gram services.

Eliminate non-essential Brad Witt takes over for Betsy Johnson, who moved to the Senate nville represents House District 24, which includes McMinnville, other parts of Yamhill County and a tiny slice of Polk County Nelson, a Republican, is a small-busi changes in Oregon's worker's compensation system. He said that his chief concerns will be sustainable development, economic growth and creating businesses and family-wage jobs. "I want to make sure that our district's economic foundation its abundance of natural resources continues to serve our social, environmental and economic needs for generations to come," he said. He said that his goals are to roll programs, agencies, boards, commissions, consultants; collect receivables (revenue and Oregon Health Plan). What are three other top priorities the Legislature should address? Yamhill tU i McMinnville CT -oAmity SnericSa; Polk.

By Peter Wong Statesman Journal Brad Witt has switched sides. For 24 years, he has been a lobbyist dealing with issues such as economic development, natural resources and Nelson back some state tax breaks to raise $1.3 billion, get businesses to devote money to environmental restoration and restore confidence in government. On his legislative staff are his former boss at the Oregon AFL-CIO, Irv Fletcher of B. No, for all caucus meetings, as individuals need to have the opportunity to express views without being subject to the critiques, criticism, cynicism of the media. The media is welcome at all public hearings and sessions and can speak privately to each legislator as requested and time permits.

compensation for workers injured on the job. Last week, Witt was sworn in by Gov. Ted Kulongoski as the new state representative for District 31, which covers Clatsop and Columbia counties in northwest Oregon and a small part of western Mult Brad Witt POSITION: State representative, District 31 (through November 2006) OFFICE: H-373 State Capitol, (503) 986-1431 AGE: 52 HOME: Clatskanie FAMILY: Wife, Donna; son, Brian, who attends Western Oregon University; and daughter, Jessica EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, history and economics, University of Massachusetts, 1975; master's degree, labor relations (management, economics and sociology), University of Oregon, 1978 CAREER: Sawmill worker; staff member for Local 555 of United Food and Commercial Workers, Western Council of Industrial Workers, national AFL-CIO; secretary-treasurer of Oregon AFL-CIO since September 1991 PUBLIC SERVICE: Oregon Board of Forestry; Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; Oregon Workforce Investment Board; chairman, Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership; Management-Labor Advisory Committee for worker's compensation Witt A. Need for independent citizen oversight committees for agency program areas. B.

PERS funding solution. C. Spending cap, reduced taxes, tax credits. Do you support open legislative caucuses? If so, why? If not, why? A. Yes, for a planned, specific subject forum.

Rep. Donna Nelson PARTY: Republican HOME: McMinnville DISTRICT 24: Includes McMinnville, parts of Yamhill County, and a slice of Polk County ENTERE0 OFFICE: 2001 BIRTHPLACE: Paducha, Texas MONTH, YEAR: June 1943 CAPITOL OFFICE: H-279 PHONE: (503) 986-1424 E-MAIL rep.donnanelson state.or.us Woodburn, who was its president from 1981 until he retired in 1999, and Judy Sugnet of Salem, a retired state employee who also worked in the Legislature. Commissioners in the three counties narrowly supported Witt ahead of Margaret Magruder, a farmer who would have become the fourth in her family to serve in the House. Her grandmother Grace Magruder was in the House from 1935 to 1939, her brother Dick from 1971 until his death in 1978, and her mother, Caroline, from 1978 to 1983. The third candidate for the appointment was Earl Fisher, former Clatskanie school superintendent.

nomah County. Witt succeeds Betsy Johnson of Scappoose, who accepted a vacant Senate seat Jan. 20. Both Democrats' terms expire in 2006. Witt is taking a leave of absence from the Oregon AFL-CIO, the state's largest labor federation, of which he has been secretary-treasurer since September 1991.

In that position, he is the chief financial officer. Although Witt has lived in Clatskanie since 1989, he has worked mostly in Salem. He has been on numerous state boards, including the Board of Forestry and the management-labor panel created by the 1990 About the series Marlon and Polk counties are represented by 14 lawmakers in the Oregon Legislature. The Statesman Journal is reporting on their priorities and thoughts on the 2005 session. FIG LJQ WAP HMviTVI yibSibiiiilbv.

ness owner. She answered questions from Statesman Journal reporter Tara McLain. What are your top three legislative priorities? A. Establishing the top priorities of critical needs (safety, veterans, education and social services) and providing designated funding for those without additional tax burdens for our citizens or state debt. B.

As chair of the Committee of Veteran Affairs, bringing greater awareness of the need to support our veterans, troops and families. C. Building jobs, ending unemployment and opening competitive bidding (outsourcing) for state services and materials, and affecting economic development effectively, supporting state industries and small businesses, eliminating restrictive and unnecessary regulations. What are the top priorities you will be working on with other local legislators to help residents of Marlon and Polk counties? A. Establishing zero-based budgeting with performance measurement so citizens as well as legislators will have full knowledge of how their monies are spent as well as having forums, briefings and hearings available to all.

B. Focusing on the battle against meth. C. Ending unfunded mandates on schools and businesses. D.

Solutionpartnership for the NewbergDundee bypass. E. Clarity to Measure 37 and fair land-use laws. Bow would you solve the state's budget crisisshortfall? A. Prioritize and fund critical needs first; reform PERS.

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