U.S. DRUG FUNDS FOR STATE HINGE ON FALL APPROPRIATIONS

Whether any part of Montana becomes eligible for federal drug-fighting funds
earmarked for "high intensity drug trafficking areas" will depend how much
money is appropriated for the federal drug control budget next fall, the
deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
said Thursday in Billings.

Dr. Donald Vereen Jr., who traveled from Washington, D.C., to Montana this
week for two days of meetings with Montanans, said the ONDCP has been
working to add Yellowstone County to an existing regional high-intensity
drug trafficking area. Vereen told The Gazette's editorial board that the
"midwest" trafficking area has requested that Yellowstone County be added to
its region. Vereen said ONDCP, an agency charged with coordinating all
federal drug policy and programs, also has a request pending from Montana to
include the entire state in a high-intensity drug trafficking designation.

"Something like that won't happen if funds are cut in the budget," Vereen
said.

Montana Attorney General Joe Mazurek issued a statement Wednesday
complaining of federal inaction on Montana's request for this designation as
well as for $1 million in drug enforcement and prevention money available to
high-intensity drug trafficking areas. On Thursday in Billings, Mazurek
repeated his concern that there had been no response to the application that
Montana submitted last March, although some neighboring states have such a
designation.

Mazurek's news release Wednesday stated that the Drug Enforcement
Administration is responsible for making this designation. But on Thursday,
both the DEA agent in charge in Billings and U.S. Attorney Sherry Scheel
Matteucci told The Gazette that the ONDCP must designate high-intensity drug
trafficking areas. Matteucci and DEA agent Craig Williams said their offices
are supporting Montana's application.

When the subject of the drug trafficking area came up at a meeting Thursday
morning at Montana State University-Billings, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus
criticized the idea of designating only Yellowstone County for this status.
He said it should apply to the entire state.

"People will just go to the next county," Baucus said.

Mazurek said the state Justice Department has requested that the entire
state be included with Yellowstone, Cascade and Missoula counties identified
as areas of particular concern because they are the most populous counties.

Pat Bellinghausen can be reached at 657-1303 or at pbelling@billings
gazette.com