METH INGREDIENTS BILL PASSES HOUSE

FRANKFORT -- Legislation that would criminalize possession and sale
of large quantities of the ingredients used to manufacture
methamphetamine unanimously passed the House of Representatives
Tuesday.

"Law enforcement officials are saying they are running into people
with huge amounts of these precursors, and they only reason they
could possibly have these large quantities is to use them to
manufacture methamphetamine," said Rep. Brian Crall, the bill's
primary sponsor. "Presently this is not a crime."

HB 644 would make it a Class D felony - punishable by one to five
years in prison - for individuals possessing more than 24 grams of
pseudoephedrine on first offense.

Pseudoephedrine is found in over-the-counter cold and allergy
medications, and it is also the primary ingredient used to make
methamphetamine. An individual would have to possess 33 boxes of the
medication to face criminal charges.

The bill also would make it illegal to distribute these precursors.

HB 644 now goes to the Senate.