MAKING METH AROUND CHILDREN WOULD BE FELONY

Bill Passes Senate; House Judiciary Will Give It Hearing

FRANKFORT - State lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it a
felony to manufacture methamphetamine around children.

A proposed Senate bill would create a separate offense for exposing a child
to a lab or the highly toxic chemicals used to produce methamphetamine.

"On a number of occasions we have taken children from houses where
manufacturing is going on," said Sgt. Jim Acquisto, a Daviess County
sheriff's detective who has joined other law enforcement officials in
support of the bill.

It sets up various penalties -- one to five years if the child is exposed
but isn't injured; five to 10 years if the child is injured; 10 to 20 years
if there is a serious physical injury; and life in prison or the death
penalty if the exposed child dies.

State police say 498 methamphetamine labs were seized in the state last
year, compared with 376 in 2002 and 170 in 2001. The labs are generally in
homes but also are found in vehicles, motel rooms and barns, garages or sheds.

An effort to remove the possible death sentence failed on the Senate floor.
Manufacturing methamphetamine now carries a penalty of 10 years to life in
prison.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Robert Stivers, R-Manchester. It passed the
Senate 35-2 and goes next to the House Judiciary Committee, where the
chairman, Rep. Gross Lindsay, D-Henderson, said he will give it a hearing.