Funding tops $1 billion for anti-meth measures

~ If the federal budget passes, the money will become available beginning Oct. 1.

More than $1 billion in funding to combat methamphetamine crimes was approved by the U.S. Senate this week.

On Thursday, a $23 million amendment was approved to provide additional funding for meth enforcement and a meth clean-up program as part of the Senate Budget Resolution, according to a news release from U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo. An amendment providing $900 million in grant funding for combating meth was approved by the Senate Wednesday, restoring funding previously eliminated in President Bush's budget for the Justice Assistance Grants. The grants fund local drug education and drug law enforcement programs.

On Tuesday the Senate authorized a $99 million amendment to fund the Combat Meth Act, which was signed into law by Bush last week. The funding will be provided over a five-year period to help train law enforcement agencies and prosecute meth offenders.

If the budget passes, the money will become available at the beginning of the 2007 fiscal year, which would begin Oct. 1, said Talent spokesman Rich Chrismer. There were no plans as of Thursday for how the money would be divided up throughout the nation, he said.

The additional funding comes at a time when local police agencies have worried about recent budget cuts affecting their programs.

"It's the wrong time to see a reduction in cuts," said Kevin Glaser, director of the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force. Glaser said a lack of funding could force the closure of some smaller drug enforcement agencies in the country.

The 2006 budget saw a decrease in funding from 2005, something that Glaser will cause his department to make a few adjustments to save money, such as conserving gasoline.

"I hope we can maintain that same level of performance," he said, adding that the recent news of the 2007 budget was "outstanding."

"We need to get ahead of the meth program, which is why this funding is so important," Talent said in the news release.

"It's certainly something we can utilize," Glaser said. "Any amount is going to be helpful,"

Locally, Glaser said the task force has been making a lot of progress in dismantling meth labs, but there has been an increase in the amount of meth imported into the state.

In addition to providing local law enforcement agencies with more funding to battle meth, the Combat Meth Act also limits the amount of meth-producing drugs, such as pseudoephedrine, a consumer can purchase. The drugs will also placed behind a pharmacy counter nationwide, as is currently done in Missouri.

"I can't help but think this will be positive," Glaser said.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

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