BREDESEN TAKES ON METH BATTLE WHERE GA FAILED

The methamphetamine problem in Tennessee is one of the worst in the
country. Recent studies show the vast majority of meth sold in the South is
made in Tennessee. Clearly, the state can wait no longer to act on this menace.

The General Assembly shirked its responsibility to address the problem this
session. It said that since there was no money available to fund a
meth-fighting effort, the GA would put the matter off until a later date.
It's another case of lawmakers sticking their heads in the sand. Meanwhile,
the meth problem is growing, destroying lives and endangering the public.

Fortunately, Gov. Phil Bredesen is taking what action he can. He has
established a meth task force and charged the 20-member panel to report
back to him by Sept. 1 with a list of "down-to-Earth, straightforward
things we can do to begin tackling this problem."

One of the things Bredesen is proposing to the GA is to stiffen criminal
penalties for meth possession to bring them in line with cocaine and crack
penalties. Currently, meth possession is a lesser crime, though a greater
danger to the public, than cocaine or crack. That doesn't make sense.

The GA should act quickly to amend state law making the meth penalties the
same as cocaine and crack. That would mean meth offenders could be
sentenced to eight to 30 years in jail instead of the three to 15 years
under current law. Under current state law, a convicted meth offender could
be out of jail in about a year. That's only a few days more than the
penalty for many misdemeanor offenses in Tennessee.

Stiffer sentences won't solve the meth problem. But it can help get some of
these offenders off the street and into jail where they belong. It also
sends a message to meth producers and sellers that the state is getting
serious about this problem. It is a message the GA could have and should
have sent. Thank goodness Bredesen is willing to act.