Bath salt ban bill slowly progressing through state legislature
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Bath salt ban bill slowly progressing through state legislature

Date: April 12, 2011
By: Alon Gilboa
State Capitol Bureau
Links: HB 641

Intro: 
Local municipalities are beginning to ban fake cocaine after frustrations over slow-moving efforts to ban it statewide.
RunTime:  0:45
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: A bill proposing to ban bath salts has passed the House and is on its way to the Senate.

Communities around the state such as St. Charles County have expressed frustration over the lengthy process in the state and enforced their own local bans.

Sponsor of the bill Representative Ward Franz says he realizes things have been slow in getting the bill through the House.

Actuality:  FRANZ1.WAV
Run Time:  00:04
Description: "That was a concern of mine, because it sat in rules for three weeks."

Franz says he is optimistic going forward as the bill is now in the Senate's hands.

Actuality:  FRANZ.WAV
Run Time:  00:07
Description: "We're out of the House now and its on its way to the Senate. We've got five weeks, I'm hoping we get it through."

Franz also says the bill could be in a Senate committee hearing by next week. 

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Alon Gilboa.

Intro: 
St. Charles County council members decide to take matters in their own hands after frustrations over stalled efforts to ban bath salts statewide.
RunTime:  0:30
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: St. Charles County council member Joe Brazil says the county needed to act faster than the state could and didn't have time to sit and wait for state lawmakers to act on making the substance illegal.

St. Charles County Sheriff Tom Neer is a major proponent of the new ban.

He says that as more local communities pass similar legislation, it will send a powerful message to Jefferson City.

Actuality:  NEER4.WAV
Run Time:  00:05
Description: "I believe the state would be more prone to see, wait a minute, this is not a local problem. This a state problem."
 

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Alon Gilboa.

Intro: 
Frustrated over the lengthy process in the statehouse, St. Charles County voted to immediately ban fake cocaine known as bath salts.
RunTime:  0:38
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The County Council voted Monday to ban synthetic drugs, even though a similar proposal is currently underway in the state legislature.

St. Charles County Sheriff Tom Neer says recent violent incidents around the county are directly tied to bath salt use.

Actuality:  NEER1.WAV
Run Time:  00:06
Description: "It was just way too frequent. Some proactive action had to be taken before more people got killed or injured."
 
He agrees with the County Council's decision to implement an immediate ban.

Actuality:  NEER3.WAV
Run Time:  00:05
Description: "The state process sometimes takes too long, and you don't know what the end result is going to be."

The bill proposing to ban the substance passed the House, but is now in the Senate.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Alon Gilboa.