After attending a national conference on the methamphetamine epidemic, Story County officials are supporting a nationwide push for more federal funding and less interference in state meth laws.

Earlier this week, Story County Supervisor Jane Halliburton and Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald met with members of the National Association of Counties in Washington, D.C. to rally lawmakers to push for more federal funding for local meth-fighting programs and to avoid federal legislation that could weaken Iowa’s pseudoephedrine law.

Halliburton said lawmakers’ consideration of uniform state meth laws has prompted members of NACo to push for a federal standard, but no federal law.

“At this point, it does not appear the federal law will override the Iowa law, that’s what we’re pushing for. In no way do we want the Iowa law diminished in its effectiveness,” she said.

To deter meth makers who may try to sidestep strict state laws, Congress has considered a nationwide uniform meth law, which could actually make the state’s pseudoephedrine limits weaker.

Fitzgerald said under the proposed federal law, anyone could buy greater quantities of pseudoephedrine and fewer retailers would be prohibited to sell it.

Illinois officers have already caught Iowans who bought stockpiles of pseudoephedrine in Illinois, including one who was in possession of 1,100 tablets.

Federal legislation, in the form of establishing a federal standard, is the best approach, but if states want to exceed that standard, they should be allowed to do so, Halliburton said.

“That’s where the discussion is right now. It’s very clear that consistency and continuity has to happen,” she said.

Fitzgerald said before the pseudoephedrine law took effect, Story County was ranked fifth for the number of meth labs in Iowa; since then, law enforcement officials have seen virtually no meth labs anywhere in the county. He said that is the message he took to the conference.

Prevention, however, is only part of the battle.

“NACo and our Meth Action Group have continued to look at this in terms of prevention, education, treatment and enforcement. The final piece we put together looks at victims, too,” Halliburton said.

Those attending the conference heard testimony and saw images of the effects meth can have, she said.

“It’s not just the users that are affected; there’s mounting evidence of dangers to children too,” Halliburton said. “One of the things we’re hearing across the country … are courts stepping in to remove children from parents and move them into the foster care system. That tremendous increase has put strain on the system and is costly.”

Funding that cost at a local level is also one of NACo’s concerns.

Fitzgerald said reducing federal grant programs like the Byrne Grant and the Justice Assistance Grant would affect positions in the Story County Sheriff’s Office.

– The Associated Press contributed to this article.