Pubdate: Sat, 12 Feb 2005
Source: Messenger-Inquirer (KY)
Copyright: 2005 Messenger-Inquirer
Contact:  http://www.messenger-inquirer.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1285
Author: Renee Beasley Jones
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS SUPPORTS ANTI-METH LEGISLATION

Owensboro residents have signed posters this week in favor of Gov.
Ernie Fletcher's anti-methamphetamine legislation.

Those signatures will be taken Monday to a 1 p.m. Frankfort rally to
fight meth. The petitions of sorts will be delivered to legislators
who represent Daviess County.

Senate Bill 63 unanimously passed the state Senate Friday morning.
Now, it goes to the House of Representatives. The bill requires anyone
buying an over-the-counter medicine containing pseudoephedrine -- used
in making meth -- to show identification. The legislation places
limits on the quantity of the drug that can be purchased at one time
and seeks to strengthen a law used to prosecute meth makers.

Debbie Zuerner Johnson, director of Community Solutions for Substance
Abuse, was pleased the bill passed the Senate. Even though part of the
battle has been won, she still plans to take the signatures to
legislators.

"This community has been hammered by methamphetamine," Zuerner Johnson
said. "It impacts each one of us one way or another. It's time to make
a statement that Owensboro and Daviess County need help and we want to
have a voice."

Daviess County Sheriff Keith Cain has been the region's voice in
Frankfort concerning the fight against meth, Zuerner Johnson said.
It's time the community backs him.

Cain was in Frankfort on Friday and was not available for comment.

Tracy McQueen Marksberry, community coordinator for the city of
Owensboro, said one of the posters hung in the City Hall employee
lounge before being moved to the first-floor lobby, where citizens
could access it. The poster went up Wednesday. By Friday morning,
about 50 people had signed it.

"It's a good bill, and most people recognize that methamphetamine is a
terrible problem in our community," McQueen Marksberry said. "Most
people are very supportive of this bill."

Community Solutions placed posters in City Hall, Owensboro Police
Department and Daviess County Courthouse. Posters in City Hall and the
courthouse were removed Friday afternoon because those buildings are
closed on weekends.

However, the police department remains open to the public on weekends.
Residents may go there today and Sunday to sign the poster and receive
information on anti-meth legislation.

Residents who would like to sign posters showing support for
anti-methamphetamine legislation may go to the Owensboro Police
Department today and Sunday. Petitions and information on the
legislation will be available.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin