STATE MAY STEP IN TO FUND DRUG PROSECUTORS

One Would Handle St. Croix, Pierce And Polk Counties

Only days after approving a bill that reduces access to cold medicines used
in the production of methamphetamine, a legislative committee on Thursday
backed funding for special drug prosecutors, including one for St. Croix,
Pierce and Polk counties.

State Rep. Kitty Rhoades, R-Hudson, sought the funding in response to a
sharp drop in federal grants that now fund an assistant district attorney
who specializes in drug-related cases in the three counties.

The Joint Committee on Finance approved the legislation, which now goes to
the full Assembly and Senate.

The bill would make $848,000 available annually to offset federal Byrne
Justice Assistance Grants, which will be reduced by 52 percent this year
and likely eliminated next year. Wisconsin counties had received $8.8
million in federal funds through the grants, but this year funding was
reduced to $4.2 million.

The legislation calls for the state to provide $28,000 to fund the special
prosecutor for the three western Wisconsin counties. If federal money is
cut entirely, $56,000 annually would be provided to fund the position.

"After hearing the concerns of local district attorneys and other law
enforcement, it became clear that this position needed to be kept in place
due to the overwhelming number of drug cases in these three counties,"
Rhoades said.

The state funding would come from penalty surcharges that are a portion of
the fines offenders pay. The surcharges are a continuing revenue stream
that will allow for the long-term funding of the position.

The money for prosecuting drug crimes follows overwhelming votes Tuesday in
the Senate and Assembly for a bill that would prohibit retailers from
selling medicines containing pseudoephedrine over the counter except for
those in liquid form or gel caps.

Methamphetamine production and use have seen dramatic increases throughout
Wisconsin, but especially in western counties. Six counties in western
Wisconsin account for nearly half of the meth cases submitted to the state
crime laboratory, and St. Croix County leads all others in meth cases.