Okla. district attorneys deliver impassioned plea for meth bill

OKLAHOMA CITY - All of Oklahoma's 27 district attorneys are standing together to fight back against meth.

They met at the capital Monday to push for legislation to keep pseudoephedrine out of the wrong hands.

"I've devoted my life to keeping people safe and I'm staking my career on this issue, that this will lower crime and save taxpayer dollars," said Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris.

Harris is passionate about lowering the number of meth labs in Tulsa County and the state.

"We have an epidemic, an enemy called methamphetamine, we've looked nationwide for a fix and we have the solution," Harris said.

Harris and 26 other Oklahoma DAs say the solution is simple: Require a prescription for the tablet form of pseudoephedrine.

All say this requirement will drastically reduce the number of meth labs, save money and even save lives.

"A huge percentage of violent crimes, domestic crimes, property crimes, burglaries involve either the use, distribution or production of methamphetamine," said Mike Fisher, acting District Attorney for Pawnee and Osage Counties.

There are three bills still alive at the state level, but they are being met with some resistance.

A fourth has already been voted down in committee.

"My deal is you're going to take away the freedom of law abiding  citizens just because of a few bad apples," said Rep. John Enns (R, District 41) who is the chair of the Public Health Committee.

Enns says he is concerned if this law passes meth users will just find a way around it.

Which is why he plans to add an amendment.

If the bill becomes law, it will be evaluated in a couple years to make sure it's working.

"That way in three to four years, after we get the prescription in for three to four years, we can look to see if meth labs have dropped and stayed down or whether they've just rebounded back up,"

Harris just wants to see this issue get a fair shake.

"I want a full and fair debate on the house floor, the bill in the senate has already been killed and they won't hear it there, there are only three bills left, give it a shot, debate it, then vote," Harris said.