OnTheIssuesLogo

Dirk Kempthorne on Drugs


Target meth with more manpower

We are continuing to fight the increase in the manufacture, trafficking, and use of one of the most devastating drugs we’ve ever faced - methamphetamine. This past year, we shut down 176 meth labs across the state. Our continued success is due to community outreach, public education, and greater collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement. I propose that we increase the manpower in our state police this year to further our fight.
Source: State of the State address to the Idaho legislature Jan 8, 2001

Voted YES on spending international development funds on drug control.

Vote to add an additional $53 million (raising the total to $213 million) to international narcotics control funding, and pay for it by taking $25 million from international operations funding and $28 million from development assistance.
Bill HR 3540 ; vote number 1996-244 on Jul 25, 1996

More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War.

Kempthorne adopted the National Governors Association policy:

Source: NGA policy HR-13: Combating and Controlling Substance Abuse 00-NGA2 on Aug 15, 2000

States should make drug policy, not feds.

Kempthorne sponsored the Western Governors' Association resolution:

  1. Western Governors agree that states, not the federal government, are in the best position to understand the myriad of drug related issues facing their citizens and to initiate and implement drug policy strategies that will combat the substance abuse problems facing their communities.
  2. Western Governors support effective law enforcement initiatives and behavioral accountability. Partnerships between enforcement and treatment programs (or efforts) need to be strengthened and supported to enable behavioral changes.
  3. Western Governors recognize the escalating costs of incarceration and welcome effective common sense options within the criminal justice system that result in lessened drug abuse, healthier communities, and decreased criminal activity.
  4. Western Governors appreciate the unique problems confronting our communities from increased production, distribution and abuse of methamphetamines. The Governors will continue to attack this problem aggressively on several fronts, including enforcement of current criminal laws and expansion of treatment and intervention programs.
  5. Western Governors support sentencing laws that retain individual accountability for criminal conduct while administering proportional punishments that are fair and just.
  6. Western Governors support efforts to staunch the proliferation of illegal intravenous drug use. Common sense strategies aimed at protecting communities against discarded and potentially contaminated injection drug paraphernalia should be explored. Furthermore, the Governors encourage reform initiatives that will help and encourage injection drug users to obtain information, treatment, detoxification and social services.
Source: WGA Policy Resolution 01 - 05: Drug Policy Summit 01-WGA05 on Aug 14, 2001

  • Click here for definitions & background information on Drugs.
  • Click here for policy papers on Drugs.
  • Click here for SenateMatch answers by Dirk Kempthorne.
  • Agree? Disagree? Voice your opinions on Drugs in The Forum.
Other candidates on Drugs: Dirk Kempthorne on other issues:

ID Senatorial:
Alan Blinken
Larry Craig
Michael Crapo
Scott McClure

Presidential:
George W. Bush
(Republican for President)
V.P.Dick Cheney
(Republican for V.P.)
Sen.John Kerry
(Democratic nominee for Pres.)
Sen.John Edwards
(Democratic nominee for V.P.)
Ralph Nader
(Reform nominee for Pres.)
Peter Camejo
(Reform nominee for V.P.)
David Cobb
(Green nominee for Pres.)
Michael Badnarik
(Libertarian nominee for Pres.)
Michael Peroutka
(Constitution nominee for Pres.)
2004 Senate Races:
(AK)Knowles v.Murkowski v.Sykes
(AL)Shelby v.Sowell
(AR)Holt v.Lincoln
(AZ)McCain v.Starky
(CA)Boxer v.Gray v.Jones
(CO)Coors v.Salazar v.Schaffer
(CT)Dodd v.Masullo
(FL)Deutsch v.Martinez v.McCollum
(GA)Buckley v.Collins v.Isakson v.Majette
(HI)Inouye
(IA)Grassley v.Northrop v.Small
(ID)Crapo
(IL)Fitzgerald v.Obama v.Keyes
(IN)Bayh v.Scott
(KS)Brownback
(KY)Bunning v.Mongiardo
(LA)John v.Vitter
(MD)Mikulski v.Pipkin
(MO)Bond v.Farmer
(NC)Bowles v.Burr
(ND)Dorgan v.Liffrig
(NH)Granny D v.Gregg
(NV)Reid v.Ziser
(NY)Hirschfeld v.O'Grady v.Schumer
(OH)Fingerhut v.Voinovich
(OK)Carson v.Coburn
(OR)Broussard v.King v.Wyden
(PA)Hoeffel v.Specter
(SC)Beasley v.DeMint v.Tenenbaum
(SD)Daschle v.Thune
(UT)Bennett v.Van Dam
(VT)Leahy v.McMullen
(WA)Murray v.Nethercutt
(WI)Feingold v.Neumann
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Jobs
Principles
Social Security
Tax Reform
Technology
War/Peace
Welfare

Other Senators
House of Representatives
SenateMatch (matching quiz)
HouseMatch
Senate Votes (analysis)
House Votes