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New laws help combat meth dangers Combating the problem of
the dangerously addictive street drug meth was the focus of three
Senate bills signed into law this week.
Senate Bill 2391, the Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act,
makes it illegal to transport anhydrous ammonia, meth or any
ingredient used to make meth into Illinois for the purpose of
manufacturing or distributing. The new anti-trafficking legislation
went into effect immediately.
Senate Bill 2915 creates the Methamphetamine Manufacturer
Registry Act, which requires the Illinois State Police to create and
maintain an online database, similar to the Illinois Sex Offender
Database, displaying where meth makers live. A link to the database
will be placed on the existing Illinois State Police website for
public disclosure.
House Bill 4297 creates the Class 3 felony penalty --2-5 years
of incarceration and/or up to $25,000 fine -- for people convicted
of using another person's personal identification information or
documents to purchase meth manufacturing material.
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Last year's legislative session yielded several meth-related
laws, including measures that increased the penalties for the
possession of meth and regulated the sale of ingredients used to
manufacture the drug. I am pleased that progress continued with this
year's measures, all aimed at continuing the fight against the
spread and sale of the toxic drug.
Governor spins jobs data
The governor's spin machine was working overtime Thursday as he
announced jobs numbers for April. [News
release]
According to the governor's office, Illinois' job growth in April
was 23,100, and 43,600 jobs were created in the past three months.
A few months' growth does not a legacy make, however.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Federal Bureau of
Labor Statistics, Illinois ranks 45th among the 50 states in the
percentage of job growth since Gov. Blagojevich took office.
Illinois has grown jobs at a rate of 1.2 percent, while neighboring
states have a job growth rate of 2.3 percent or higher. The national
average job growth is 4 percent.
[Column from
Sen. Bill Brady] |
