IOWA HOUSE VOTES TO TOUGHEN PENALTIES FOR SELLING ECSTASY

Dealers of the youth party drug ecstasy would risk going to prison for 50
years and paying a fine of up to $1 million, under a bill approved
Wednesday by the Iowa House.

Lawmakers voted 95-1 to create new criminal penalties for the increasingly
popular drug, which is sold as pills and often can be found at dance
parties, generally among youth ages 12 to 24.

"It has now seen a national resurgence and is becoming a problem in Iowa,
with 13 counties saying that they have started investigations," said Rep.
George Eichhorn, a Stratford Republican.

Under current law, possession with intent to deliver any amount of ecstasy
is a class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The bill creates harsher penalties for larger amounts of the drug, also
called X or XTC. Up to 40 pills or 10 grams would remain a class C felony.

Between 10 grams and 5 kilograms would be a class B felony punishable by up
to 25 years in prison.

Selling more than 5 kilograms of the drug would bring a super class B
felony, punishable by 50 years and fine up to $1 million. "This is a good
bill," said Rep. Mark Tremmel, an Ottumwa Democrat. The drug "is being
offered to kids," he said. "It is being marketed to kids at all-night rave
parties that supposedly are not supposed to include any alcohol or drugs."

Rep. Ed Fallon, a Des Moines Democrat, voted against the bill. He
questioned how much enforcing the new penalties would cost the state.

Eichhorn said the cost is difficult to determine, because use of the drug
is not a large problem. "Essentially, the idea is we want to be ahead of
the game before it becomes a problem," he said.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where passage is expected. The increased
penalties also were recommended by Gov. Tom Vilsack.