Patrick W. Flanagan, Terese Amazi, Paul M. Philipp and Timothy Rank teamed up with State Rep. Jeff Anderson (R-Austin) Wednesday.

The foe: Minnesota's weak methamphetamine law.

Anderson, a freshman state representative, introduced legislation to make possession with intent to manufacture methamphetamine a felony crime. On Wednesday, the state representative was joined by Flanagan, Amazi, Philipp and Rank in testifying before the House judiciary committee.

"We know what they're doing. We know what's going on," Flanagan said. "But they're slipping through the cracks in the system. This law should change that."

Flanagan is the Mower County Attorney and Amazi, the Mower County Sheriff. Flanagan and Amazi said a tougher methamphetamine law was needed that addressed the issue of possession of precursors and Anderson agreed to sponsor the legislation if elected.

He was elected and now he is fulfilling that promise.

"Iowa has a precursor law and they don't want to get caught there. We hope Minnesota's new law will have the same effect here," he said.

The Austin police chief has watched the growth of methamphetamine cases in his jurisdiction.

Rank, one of Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch's top prosecutors, helped the locals' effort to push for passage of the legislation.

Flanagan said those people using large quantities of household goods such as cold remedy drugs, lithium batteries, coffee filters and Coleman fuel to manufacture the drug are "creating a bomb" in a house in a residential neighborhood that threatens others as well as themselves.

"This bill deals with the manufacture of methamphetamine by addressing the possession of what are really common household chemicals, but are used in the manufacture of the drug," Flanagan said. "It makes possession of those materials a crime as long as we can prove intent to manufacture.

"We're very hopeful the legislation will become law. The people who heard us Wednesday seemed very receptive to it."

Austin Police Chief Paul M. Philipp said, "We see this as a significant benefit to law enforcement. Many other states have similar precursor laws and we home the state of Minnesota will follow suit."

How serious is the methamphetamine problem in greater Minnesota? A Minnesota Public Radio report described the corridor on either side of Interstate 90 from Austin-Albert Lea westward t the South Dakota state line as "Meth Alley."

That's because of the large number of methamphetamine-related arrests in the area of greater Minnesota's southern tier of counties..

The Southeast Minnesota Narcotics Task Force reported 44 methamphetamine laboratory cases in the period 2001-2002, ranking it the second highest in the state.

Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi said the proposed new legislation will help close any "Meth Alley" in Minnesota.

"This legislation is important to every law enforcement agency in the state of Minnesota," Amazi said. "Right now, Minnesota has only a half-baked precursor law on the books. This new legislation will make that law tougher by adding more teeth to it."

Amazi said the presence of a tough methamphetamine precursor law in nearby Iowa and Minnesota's own weaker law is sending methamphetamine precursors northward.

"Very recently, we had a case where two Iowans, ages 18, were caught with ephedrine and lithium batteries cut up for use as well as LP tanks in their car and they admitted they were on their way to steal anhydrous ammonia to cook methamphetamine," she said. "We had to let them go, because we couldn't prosecute them under the present Minnesota law.

"This is a very serious problem."

Violent behavior

legislation introduced

State Rep. Jeff Anderson, R-Austin, has also introduced legislation, requiring schools to notify teachers if a student with violent behavior is placed in their classroom.

Presently, only a teacher's representative and the school board are notified when such placements are made.

"Classroom teachers should up front when a student with a history of violent behavior is put in their classroom" said Anderson, an Austin High School teacher. "We can't have safer schools if we don't share all relevant information with the people in the classrooms."

Anderson said in many other student cases, such as a special education child or a child with diabetes, teachers are informed so they can be prepared how to respond in an emergency.

Under current law, a student with a history of violent behavior is defined as a student who has physically attached another student or other individuals.

Anderson is a member of the House K-12 education finance committee.

The bill was referred for a hearing to the House education policy committee.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com