MEDIA ADVISORY: McKenna to testify on Operation Allied Against Meth, Trespass against Children bills

Olympia - Attorney General Rob McKenna will testify on two of his top priority bills tomorrow in the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee.

Operation: Allied Against Meth: McKenna’s Operation: Allied Against Meth bill, Senate Bill 6239, is first on the agenda at tomorrow. The measure, based on recommendations of McKenna’s Operation: Allied Against Meth Task Force, covers substance abuse reduction, clean-up and criminal sanctions. Highlights of the bill include:

• Adding 100 additional therapeutic drug and alcohol treatment placements for prison above the January 2006 levels.
• Providing $1.575 million per year from 2007 through 2010 in drug enforcement funds to sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors in three multi-county areas, focusing specifically on Pacific and Wahkiakum counties; Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties; and Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille counties.
• Requiring all meth-related enhancements to run consecutively to all other sentences, as opposed to concurrently.
• Requiring those convicted of meth-related offenses under the Drug Offender Sentencing Act to serve at least 12 months or half of the midpoint sentence range before receiving any “good time” off.

Banning sex offenders from children’s hangouts: The committee will also hear SB 6775, requested by McKenna to address concerns about sex offenders who lurk in public places where children play or learn, such at community centers, swimming pools, day cares and parks. The bill allows employees of such facilities to ban level II and III sex offenders from these areas when children are present and also creates a new felony crime for those who violate this law called “Criminal Trespass against Children.”

When: 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21

Where: House Hearing Room E, John L. O’Brien Building on the Capital Campus

For one-page summaries of McKenna’s legislative priorities, please visit the “Spotlight” section of the Attorney General’s Office home page at www.atg.wa.gov.

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Media Contacts:

Janelle Guthrie, AG Media Relations Director, (360) 586-0725