GOP crackdown on meth, illegal immigrants advances; Dems halt effort to make it tougher

A Republican measure targeting the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants into Colorado has gained the full approval of the Senate, but only after Democrats blocked a GOP effort to ensure illegal immigrants do not jump bail.

Prompted by reports from local law enforcement officials that the Denver metro area is the fourth largest methamphetamine hub, Sen. Mike Kopp, R-Littleton, and Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, put forth Senate Bill 134 in an effort to curb the amount of drugs coming into Colorado.  The bill raises the bond amounts for meth traffickers to a high statewide minimum and allows local authorities to keep half the bond if the defendant is known to be in the United States illegally and skips bail.

"This bill helps ensure that those facing trafficking charges do not slip out of the justice system," Kopp said.  "Otherwise, victims and their communities are denied the opportunity to ensure the safety of Colorado's families."

Kopp added, "This bill gives law enforcement agencies and prosecutors a powerful tool in the battle against methamphetamine traffickers."

SB 134 sets the minimum bail amount at $50,000 for all individuals arrested for drug trafficking and requires it to be adjusted every 10 years for inflation. The bill allows for the district attorney or the accused to ask the judge to lower bail if they show good cause. The bill also stipulates that the forfeited funds of an illegal immigrant who fails to appear in court be split evenly between the local jail in the county where the bond was posted and the Department of Corrections to offset the cost of building new prisons--a growing concern throughout Colorado's corrections community.

The sponsors were disappointed, however, that Senate Democrats refused to include a provision that would have further beefed up the measure. It would have barred any leeway on the bail of illegal immigrants who are being held on drug charges and are wanted by federal immigration officials. That proposal, offered as an amendment by the GOP's Sen. Greg Brophy, of Wray, was defeated on a party-line vote.

Upon researching a way to stem the flow of meth into the state, Kopp and McNulty said they discovered there was a direct link between human smuggling across the southern border and meth trafficking--a person trying to enter the US illegally will often carry drugs across the border in exchange for free transportation.

"The methamphetamine trafficking problem in Colorado will continue to grow as long as the southern border of the United States remains unsecured, " Kopp said.  "That is one reason why we need a bill like this."

He said  SB 134 raises the minimum bail bond for those caught trafficking destructive illicit drugs to $50,000 -- raising the bond amount by more than 300% in some cases.