FRANKFORT — In a rare Frankfort appearance, long-time U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers urged a state Senate committee Thursday to pass a bill that would require a prescription to buy cold medicines that contain ingredients used in the manufacturing of meth.
The Republican Congressman said he came to "raise the sense or urgency" about the problem of meth and to urge the passage of House Bill 281 and Senate Bill 45. Under both proposals, people would have to obtain a prescription to obtain cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine.
Both Oregon and Mississippi have passed such laws and the number of methamphetamine labs have plummeted, Rogers told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, which approved the bill later in the day.
As he spoke, Rogers was flanked by Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, and House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg.
Oregon passed the prescription law in 2006 there have been less than 25 labs found in Oregon each of the last four years. In Kentucky, the number of meth lab incidents was 1,064 last year.
"Any questions?" Rogers said.
Read more of this story at Kentucky.com