DETECTIVES GET LOOPHOLES CLOSED DAVIS SIGNS RUNNER'S BILL ON METHAMPHETAMINE LABS.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

LANCASTER - State and county officials Thursday credited two detectives with promoting legislation that closes loopholes in laws against manufacturing methamphetamine.

Sheriff's Sgt. Craig Anderson and Detective Brian Corcoran approached Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster, to propose legislation outlawing possession of methamphetamine precursors with intent to manufacture the illegal drug.

Runner's Assembly Bill 158 was signed Monday by Gov. Gray Davis.

``Methamphetamine is the scourge of our community, and it makes no sense to take away the tools used to arrest the people who make it,'' Runner said. ``With the passage of AB 158, law enforcement can return to the business of shutting down meth labs.''

The new law was necessary because of a court decision last year blocking prosecution for simply possessing key ingredients used in the methamphetamine production process, Runner said.

AB 158 allows for the arrest and prosecution of anyone caught in possession of those key chemicals if intent to manufacture methamphetamine can be proven.

Runner's legislation also closes a loophole that allows methamphetamine manufacturers to stockpile crystalized iodine, a methamphetamine component. State law already banned businesses from selling an individual more than eight ounces of crystalized iodine in a 30-day period, but meth manufacturers were buying iodine from out-of-state suppliers and stockpiling it, Runner said.

Anderson said he and Corcoran approached Runner nearly a year ago with a first draft of the proposed legislation, backed by the director of the team on which the two detectives serve and by the sheriff.

Anderson said Runner immediately began pushing the idea.

AB 158 will take effect Jan. 1.

Greg Botonis, [phone]

gregory.botonis(at)dailynews.com