Bath Salts Illegal under Attorney General’s Legislative Package Bill Passed Today

LINCOLN – Attorney General Jon Bruning applauded today’s passage of LB 670, which amends the Uniformed Controlled Substances Act to include the class of synthetic materials used to make the drugs marketed and sold as bath salts. LB 670 was part of Bruning’s tenth legislative package and passed today with an emergency clause in place.
Bath Salts
Bath salts are created by compounding specific chemicals and can cause users to lose motor control and have extreme paranoia and erratic, violent behavior. The effects from ingesting or inhaling these compounds are potentially deadly.
“Bath salt compounds are designed for one reason only – to get high,” said Bruning. “I’m pleased our Legislature has taken action to protect our kids from being poisoned by these deadly drugs.”
State Senator Ken Schilz of Ogallala sponsored the bill.
“We are seeing these drugs in the rural areas as well as larger cities,” said Sen. Schilz. “Now is the time for us to protect kids in all Nebraska communities from these dangerous drugs. These drugs are being designed to skirt the law. Laws like this are needed in order to combat the ever changing landscape of designer drugs.”
Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood of Norfolk was instrumental in passing the bill.
“Nobody wants to see another death from bath salts, not in Nebraska, not anywhere,” said Speaker Flood. “LB 670 is an important step in keeping Nebraskans safe from these drugs.”
Under LB 670, the penalties for possessing bath salts are the same as those for methamphetamine, heroin, LSD, Cocaine and other Schedule I controlled substances.
Nebraska joins at least 38 other states including Missouri, Kansas and Wyoming in banning the drug.
Attorney General Bruning’s Legislative Package Impact
Since 2003, Bruning’s office has worked to address some of the most critical issues affecting communities across the state. The Office works with state senators and state and local law enforcement to create bills to provide additional protections for Nebraskans.
Measures included in previous packages have created landmark child protection laws. In 2006, LB 1199 created mandatory minimum sentences for sexual assault of a child under 12 years of age. In addition, package bills have criminalized online enticement and removed the statute of limitations on incest.
Bruning’s office has helped to draft and pass measures to protect Nebraskans from domestic violence. In 2004, legislative package bills created a distinct offense for domestic assault and a felony offense for strangulation.
Bruning’s legislative package bills have also focused on protecting communities from the threat of drugs and gang violence. Introduced as part of the 2005 legislative package, LB 117 put methamphetamine pre-cursor drug pseudoephedrine behind retail counters resulting in an 86 percent drop in clandestine meth labs across the state. Bruning’s 2007 gang bill, LB 63, increased penalties for graffiti, gang-member recruitment, drive-by shootings, and assaulting an officer.
In all, 36 of Bruning’s legislative package bills have been made law since 2003.