Meth bill sparks protest

Palmer police, lawmakers, seek tougher legislation

February 3, 2006

MARY AMES\Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - Palmer police joined other law enforcement agencies from around the state in asking lawmakers to keep wording in proposed legislation that would require businesses to log the names of people who buy ingredients used to make methamphetamine.

House Bill 149, introduced last session, addressed the manufacture and use of meth and contained the log book requirement. But when HB 149 emerged from Sen. Lyda Green's Finance Committee this year, however, it no longer required stores to keep records of who buys meth-related products, and inserted provisions listing steroids as a controlled substance and discussing the dangers of marijuana.

In addition to Palmer, the Legislature received letters from Anchorage, Fairbanks and North Pole police departments, according to Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Willow. They all wanted the log book requirement, he said.

The letter from the Palmer police to the state Legislature was brief and to the point.

&#8220We at the Palmer Police Department strongly urge you to retain sections of HB 149 that require registration, record keeping, and reporting for certain listed chemicals,” the letter said, in part. &#8220The removal of those provisions essentially emasculates the legislation. Other states have legislation that requires that names, dates, and quantities of specific chemicals and paraphernalia used in the manufacture of controlled substances be recorded by the distributing business. Those lists are substantial tools in the deterrent effort as well as the seizure of methamphetamine labs and prosecution of their operators. Failure to include the registration, recording, and reporting portion of this legislation is unconscionable.”

All four Valley legislative representatives voted against the bill Wednesday, and for Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, the log books were an issue.

&#8220It came back from the Senate without log books and it guts the whole bill,” Gatto said. &#8220And there was no hearing on the steroids, and they'd added marijuana. To vote on a bill that you haven't even read is wrong. If you don't know what's going on, you have a debate.”

Gatto said it is rare for the House to vote on a bill without discussion.

&#8220And, usually, it is a bill with a single subject,” he said. &#8220But not a whole new thing.”

Neuman said while the log book requirement adds teeth to the law, he is troubled by the burden it places on the citizens of Alaska.

&#8220I agree and disagree with it,” Neuman said. &#8220I would like to hear a little bit more on the argument. Meth is a serious, serious drug that's killing Alaska families. But the burden on the public is a difficult question, when I look at how much government has to intrude into your business.”

For Neuman, the addition of meth and steroids in HB 149 was also a sticking point.

&#8220I didn't like the idea of combining the two,” he said. &#8220A certain legislative process needs to be followed, to have public debate. You need to respect that.”

When the bill was introduced last year by Rep. Jay Ramras, R-Fairbanks, it had more than the log book requirement.

&#8220When it was first introduced, it wasn't just log books, it was a computerized database that could be accessed statewide, so stores could bring it up,” Gatto said. &#8220It got too expensive to put in place, so they went to just books. But then how is Carrs going to know what's happening at Fred Meyer?”

Gatto did his homework on the bill, he said, spending several hours talking with people in law enforcement before this legislative session started. He also talked with pharmacists about the pseudoephedrine products, which are cold and allergy medications that contain primary ingredients used in meth manufacturing .

&#8220I went into Costco, where they have voluntary log books,” Gatto said. &#8220They had the modified products, the PE, on the shelves, and I told the pharmacist, ‘I want the real McCoy, the real thing.' He said it was behind the counter and I could buy some and sign the log book. I asked, ‘Can I buy all I want?' and he said no.”

Even though the store's log books are voluntary, the very fact that they are in place has had a positive effect, Gatto said.

&#8220So few people are coming into the back, there's so little to put down,” he said. &#8220Log books keep people from buying it.”

In the past, the Alaska State Troopers lobbied to keep the log book requirement in the legislation also, according to Lt. James Helgoe, the troopers' legislative liaison.

&#8220We are obviously in favor of the logs,” Helgoe said. &#8220But we're willing to accept whatever the Legislature gives us to help us do the job more effectively.”

For Rep. Vic Kohring, R-Wasilla, the log books are an unfunded mandate, but he sees a way around that problem.

&#8220I struggle with government forcing private businesses to maintain records and to have the expense,” Kohring said. &#8220Maybe if law enforcement and businesses cooperated voluntarily. Another way would be for government to provide the money to keep records to alleviate the expenses.”

The bill now moves to a conference committee made up of Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak/Mat-Su, Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole, and Rep. Harry Crawford, D-Anchorage, for the House. No announcement has been made about who will be on the committee from the Senate.

An aide for Stoltze said he was &#8220in his district,” dealing with constituents and family matters and was unavailable for comment.

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.