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Pearson named to Attorney General's Meth Task Force
Rep.
Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe, has been appointed by State Attorney
General Rob McKenna as a member of a newly created task force that will
develop measures aimed at fighting the use of methamphetamine in
Washington.
The 17-member task force, called “Operation: Allied Against Meth” is
made up of state and local law enforcement officials, prosecutors,
business and community representatives, treatment providers and elected
officials. Pearson will represent the House Republican Caucus on the
task force.
“The manufacturing and use of meth is a very serious problem in our
state. It is destroying the lives of many people and adversely affecting
our communities. It’s always been my commitment to work for a safer
Washington and to deal head-on with this problem,” said Pearson, ranking
Republican on the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee. “I’m
very pleased that the attorney general has made such a strong commitment
toward fighting methamphetamine. I’m very optimistic that this task
force will find new and effective ways to win the war against meth, and
that we will see good legislation coming forward as a result of this
group.”
Washington ranks near the top of the country in the number of meth labs
discovered. More than 1,300 meth labs were reported last year by the
Department of Ecology. Of those, 199 were in King County, Snohomish
County reported 101, Skagit had 31, and 25 were discovered in Whatcom
County.
“There’s a lot of meth manufacturing going on in some very remote
locations of our counties and we need to put a stop to it. We have to
get very serious about dealing with the effects of this drug in our
communities. This task force is an excellent start,” added Pearson.
“Washington needs a zero tolerance policy on this drug. By bringing many
knowledgeable people together, we can create good strategies toward
effectively dealing with the meth problem in our state.”
The “Operation: Allied Against Meth” task force will convene three
public meetings. The first will be held in Olympia, Wednesday, Aug. 10,
9 a.m., in the Senate Rules Room at the state Capitol. Subcommittees
will also hold additional meetings to develop strategies in specific
areas. By the final meeting, recommendations will be developed for a
legislative package to present to the 2006 Legislature.
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For more information, contact:
Bobbi Cussins, Public Information Officer:
(360) 786-7252
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