LAWMAKER LOOKS TO TACKLE METH PROBLEM

A local lawmaker is looking to build a coalition of legislators,
criminal justice workers and citizens to address what he calls the No.
2 priority in the state of Oregon.

Rep. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, said he hopes to bring a team together
in the next week to work on a plan to deal with methamphetamine, an
issue he said is second in importance only to education.

"Meth is a big issue in all of our communities. It's the No. 1 public
safety issue," Boquist said on Friday.

Earlier this week, he met with about 150 people in the Marion County
town of Jefferson to talk about illegal drugs. In that county, Boquist
said about 85 percent of all property crimes and identity theft cases
are related to meth, but the same could be said of almost any part of
Oregon.

"It's a statewide problem," Boquist said.

But the issue isn't receiving enough attention in the form of funding
for programs and services to address it, he said. And it may require
reallocating funding in the state budget, something that should happen
if it truly is such a high priority, Boquist said.

Last fall, Gov. Kulongoski announced several recommendations to his
Methamphetamine Task Force, including restricting sales of cold
medications containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, key ingredients
in the manufacturing of meth.

The governor's task force is targeting meth use in five areas --
community involvement, law enforcement, treatment, child well-being
and rehabilitation -- and will be seeking legislative action this session.

Boquist agrees with the multi-pronged approach to dealing with
meth.

"We can't just put people in jail," Boquist said.

He's supportive of drug treatment court programs, such as the one in
Benton County.

"The problem with meth is you can't address it as a community issue.
You've got to address it in all the communities," Boquist said. "It
has to be systemwide."

The freshman lawmaker said he'll be talking to colleagues about
joining his yet-unnamed meth coalition, and he's already had
discussions with representatives of the sheriffs' association, police
association and county services association.