Illinois General Assembly

Oct. 20, 2006
Rep. Jil Tracy (R-Mt. Sterling)
223-0833

Tracy bill helps cracks down on methamphetamine dealers

QUINCY . . . Rep. Jil Tracy (R-Mt. Sterling) introduced a bill today that helps crack down on methamphetamine dealers by making it a felony offense to use a fake ID to buy critical ingredients needed to make methamphetamine.
            “We held a hearing in Quincy in August to get the input of representatives from law enforcement, health and social agencies and the farm community concerning the problem of methamphetamine use in our region. This legislation is a direct result of that hearing,” Tracy said.
            She said her bill provides that anyone who uses a fake or altered identification in order to purchase an ingredient needed for the manufacture of methamphetamine would be guilty of a Class 4 felony (1 to 3 years in prison).
            “This bill will help reduce accessibility to methamphetamine precursors such as pseudoephedrine which is a core ingredient of meth,” Tracy said. “Current law limits how much pseudoemphedrine can be purchased by any one person at a time. The meth manufacturers and addicts are often using false IDs to purchase critical meth ingredients.”
            Tracy noted the number of meth lab seizures in Illinois has grown from 27 in 1997 to almost 1200 in 2005 and that law enforcement officials in both Adams and Hancock counties have documented significant meth lab activity, according to the Attorney General’s office.