04/19/2006 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

HCR 4 - METH WATCH PROGRAM                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:13:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR McGUIRE  announced that the  first order of  business would                                                               
be   HOUSE  CONCURRENT   RESOLUTION   NO.   4,  Encouraging   the                                                               
establishment of a methamphetamine  watch program.  [In committee                                                               
packets  was a  proposed  committee substitute  (CS)  for HCR  4,                                                               
Version 24-LS0693\G, Kurtz/Luckhaupt, 4/13/06.]                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:13:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JAY RAMRAS,  Alaska  State Legislature,  sponsor,                                                               
opined that a methamphetamine watch  program, which is encouraged                                                               
by HCR 4,  is an excellent step  because preventative maintenance                                                               
is better than criminal proceedings.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:13:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JANE PIERSON,  Staff to Representative  Jay Ramras,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  sponsor,   on  behalf  of   Representative  Ramras,                                                               
paraphrased   from  the   following  written   sponsor  statement                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Throughout the past decade there  have been a number of                                                                    
     public   awareness   programs,  which   have   educated                                                                    
     communities  about the  dangers of  alcohol and  drugs.                                                                    
     Meth Watch is a voluntary  program started in Kansas as                                                                    
     a  public/private  partnership  in 2001.    Meth  Watch                                                                    
     educates    communities    about    the    perils    of                                                                    
     methamphetamine.       Today,   twelve    states   have                                                                    
     implemented  a   Meth  Watch   program.     Although  a                                                                    
     relatively  new  campaign,  since  its  implementation,                                                                    
     states  have  reported  reductions  in  the  number  of                                                                    
     methamphetamine   laboratories,   and   have   seen   a                                                                    
     unification of  grant programs that fund  the education                                                                    
     of  communities;  particularly parents,  teachers,  and                                                                    
     others that work with youth.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     The   Meth  Watch   program   engages  retailers,   law                                                                    
     enforcement   officials,  schools,   state  and   local                                                                    
     agencies,  and  other  key  partners  in  reducing  the                                                                    
     diversion of  precursor products for  the manufacturing                                                                    
     of  methamphetamine,  and  increasing  awareness  about                                                                    
     methamphetamine's  dangers.     The  program   is  also                                                                    
     instrumental in educating students and teachers in our                                                                     
     schools and communities.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     House Concurrent  Resolution No. 4 urges  that the Meth                                                                    
     Watch program  be implemented in  the State  of Alaska,                                                                    
     by applying  for available grants, and  encouraging and                                                                    
     assisting communities  to apply  for funding  from both                                                                    
     government and private sources.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. PIERSON characterized  the "meth watch" program  as a win-win                                                               
program.   She  noted that  although there  has been  across-the-                                                               
state interest  in implementing the  program, someone  must still                                                               
be willing to champion it.   Originally, the Department of Health                                                               
and Social  Services was  asked to  be the  point person,  but it                                                               
seems that it  would be best to have a  private organization take                                                               
the lead.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:15:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG  moved to  adopt the  proposed committee                                                               
substitute (CS) for HCR  4, Version 24-LS0693\G, Kurtz/Luckhaupt,                                                               
4/13/06, as the work draft.   There being no objection, Version G                                                               
was before the committee.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  McGUIRE,  upon determining  that  no  one else  wished  to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on HCR 4.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:16:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG moved  to  report the  proposed CS  for                                                               
HCR 4,  Version  24-LS0693\G,  Kurtz/Luckhaupt, 4/13/06,  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSHCR  4(JUD)  was                                                               
reported from the House Judiciary Standing Committee.