Meth bill moves toward passage

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BY NANCY HICKS / Lincoln Journal Star

A meth-related measure that will inconvenience consumers with colds and allergies but is expected to thwart local meth cookers is headed for passage. More Session 2005 stories.

Senators gave second-round approval to the bill (LB117) that puts many cold and allergy products behind the counter or in a locked cabinet.

Both Gov. Dave Heineman and Attorney General Jon Bruning have supported the bill, which they hope will keep medicine that contains pseudoephedrine out of the hands of meth makers.

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Senators did make a concession to parents and will allow most liquid cold and allergy medicine for children to be stocked on store shelves, not locked up.

The bill's leaders "capitulated to the power of moms," said Omaha Sen. Pam Redfield, who believes restricting access to the liquid medicine is unnecessary since people do not yet use that product to make meth.

If people start using children's liquid medicine to make meth, the products will go behind the counter with the adult products, according to the bill.

The bill makes it inconvenient for everyone — criminals and innocent consumers — to buy products that contain pseudoephedrine, a basic ingredient for making methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug.

The bill's restrictions on how much medicine people can buy in a 24-hour period will greatly inconvenience people who use Claritin D for allergies, said Sen. Dwite Pedersen of Eklhorn, who offered an amendment that would have doubled the amount that could be purchased.

People with serious allergies who take medicine daily will have to go to the store twice a week to buy a 10-day supply of Claritin D, under the restrictions in the bill.

"I think it is ridiculous to inconvenience these people, who will have to stop at the store every day to get medicine," he said.

But criminals could make 350 doses of meth with the higher maximum purchase amount Pedersen proposed, said Omaha Sen. Pat Bourne, chairman of the Judiciary Committee and sponsor of the bill. And he suggested people who use Claritin D could get a doctor's prescription to purchase larger amounts of the allergy medicine.

During first-round debate senators had decided to reduce the amount of medicine that could be purchased in a day, after agreeing to eliminate another requirement that everyone sign a logbook with each purchase.

"The (purchase) restrictions trample on people's rights, people who haven't done anything illegal," said Sen. Gail Kopplin of Gretna.

"I can go to the store every five days (to buy a five-day supply of allergy medicine). And it's going to cost me twice as much."

"Or I can go to the doctor and pay him $80 so he can write out a prescription," Kopplin said.

This "moderate inconvenience" is worth keeping the product out of the hands of meth cookers, Bourne said.

Pedersen withdrew his amendment before a vote. He said the amendment would have failed, and he didn't want to hold up the very popular bill during the last hectic days of the legislative session.

Senators also rejected an amendment that would have allowed the State Patrol to use a database to show who is purchasing products containing pseudoephedrine.

Reach Nancy Hicks at 473-7250 or nhicks@journalstar.com.

Highlights of the bill

* Stores must keep allergy and cold medicine containing pseudoephedrine, except children's liquid medicine, in a locked cabinet or behind a counter.

* Only people who are 18 or older and show a driver's license or another government-authorized picture ID can purchase the products.

* Consumers can buy only limited amounts of medicine in a 24-hour period. Two 24-tablet packages of Sudafed; one five-tablet package of 24-hour Claritin D; two bottles of Vick's Dayquil liquid.

* Penalties for meth-related crimes are increased.