METH ORDINANCE UP FOR VOTE

An attempt to crack down on methamphetamine production has begun with the
passing of an ordinance limiting the sale of pseudophedrine-based cold and
sinus products in Portales and Roosevelt County.

Commissioners in Curry County and Clovis will vote on the ordinance
proposed by 9th Judicial District Attorney Matt Chandler in the next two days.

The ordinance aims to reduce methamphetamine production in the area by
placing the powder and hard-pill forms of pseudophedrine used in meth
production behind counters or glass in the stores.

Introduced this summer, the ordinance has met with a fair amount of
criticism from those who view it as an invasion of privacy and freedom.

The ordinance would require those who purchase more than three packets of
pseudophedrine-based medicines in a single store visit to present
identification; it is not applicable, however, to those purchasing gel and
liquid forms of the drug.

Retailers would record the name and address of mass purchasers. That record
would be stored in a folder or in some other form by retailers and picked
up by law enforcement officials on roughly a weekly basis, according to
city commissioner and deputy district attorney Fred Van Soelen. It could
then be used for up to three to six months by law enforcement officials for
drug enforcement or "other lawful purposes," the ordinance states.

The ordinance is up for vote at the county level at 9 a.m. today and will
be voted upon on Thursday at the city level in Clovis.

Chandler said similar ordinances have been enacted across the nation.

"Meth cooks are anchored into this community not because they enjoy the
school systems, not because they enjoy the nice weather. They are anchored
into this community because they can make a profit by making meth in this
community. If we take that opportunity to make a profit away, research and
studies show that they will leave the community," Chandler said.

Chandler said retailers violating the ordinance could face a punishment of
a $300 fine and/or 90 days in jail.

"It's the standard penalty for a city and county ordinance," Chandler said.
"I don't think we will have any problems with retailers cooperating.
They've all complied with the program."

According to police there were seven meth lab busts in the city and county
in the last year.

One of the ordinance's most ardent detractors, former Lt. Gov. Walter
Bradley of Clovis, said the law is a misplaced stranglehold.

"My heartburn is that we aren't punishing the criminal. When we arrest a
cook and they bail out for as little as $500 and go back to the kitchen,
that's outrageous," Bradley said. "I question the effectiveness of an
ordinance that does not punish the criminal."

Conversely, County Commissioner Ed Perales said the merits of the ordinance
are evidenced by its adoption in surrounding states.

"My concerns (with the ordinance) have been answered and I'm ready to
proceed," Perales said, citing similar photo identification requirements
for the sale of cigarettes and alcohol.

City Commissioner Robert Sandoval said he has studied this ordinance more
than any other up for his approval. "It has some good points and some that
are not so good," the commissioner said. "I am still racking my brain with it."

In the months since the ordinance was introduced, Sandoval said he has
visited with pseudophedrine retailers and the families of meth users
devastated by addiction. He still, however, said he wrestles with the
implications of the ordinance, which some say could put too much financial
and emotional burden on retailers.