Judiciary Committee Field Hearing Sheds Light on Evolving Meth Challenges in Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa - A panel of Iowans shared their first-hand experience in the fight against meth, raising the profile of the drug's evolving threat to communities yesterday at a Senate Judiciary Committee field hearing hosted by Chairman Chuck Grassley. Testimony from law enforcement officials, public policy experts and drug treatment providers shed light on the scourge of meth in Iowa and the challenges it presents.
"The hearing highlighted not only the seriousness of the meth problem, but also the possibility of redemption with the right intervention and support. While meth use is not limited to Iowa, the witnesses at the hearing are helping those of us in Congress better understand the situations that many states and communities face. To identify solutions to the meth problem, we must first understand the perspectives of those who battle it every day. I am thankful for those who shared their insight at the hearing and for all of those who work to eliminate meth and its harmful marks on Iowa," Grassley said.
Testifying at the hearing were: Denise Moore, a former meth addict who now works to rebuild families whose children have been removed; Steve Lukan, the Director of Iowa's Office of Drug Control Policy; Paul Fedderson, the Assistant Director of the Division of Narcotics Enforcement within Iowa's Department of Public Safety; Lieutenant Corbin Payne of the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force; and Jay Hansen, the Executive Director of Prairie Ridge Addictions Treatment Services in Mason City. The witnesses' written testimonies as well as Grassley's opening remarks are available HERE.
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Judiciary Committee Chairmen: Lax Administration Policy May Allow Alien Sex Offenders to Avoid Deportation
WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte are seeking details on how federal immigration officials will address two alien sex offenders. In a letter today to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, the lawmakers raise concerns that local sanctuary policies and new federal immigration practices may allow the sex offenders to avoid deportation and be released back into American communities. Both sex offenders were arrested this month and are currently in law enforcement custody.
Arturo Ocon-Garcia was arrested October 5 by Customs and Border Patrol, where he remains detained. He was previously convicted of sex offenses in Chicago, which has policies requiring local law enforcement to ignore immigration requests from federal authorities. The lawmakers are asking how the Department of Homeland Security plans to ensure that Ocon-Garcia will not be released back into the public if he is transferred out of federal custody.
Melvin Perez Bonilla was arrested October 5 by Arlington County Police and has admitted to multiple sex offenses. However, because Bonilla does not have any prior criminal convictions, he may not trigger any federal immigration actions - such as the issuance of a detainer to transfer him to federal custody - based on the administration's new lax Priority Enforcement Program. This program narrows the category of criminal immigrants the administration will seek to remove from the country.
Grassley and Goodlatte are asking for more information surrounding the sex offenders' immigration statuses as well as how the agency plans to respond to their recent charges.
Full text of the Grassley-Goodlatte letter
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Grassley: Iowa Federal Judicial Nominees to have Hearing Next Week
WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today said that a nominations hearing has been scheduled for Judge Leonard Strand and Judge Rebecca Ebinger, individuals recommended by Grassley for federal judgeships in the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa.
The hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee will be held in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, October 21, at 10 a.m. (ET). The committee is responsible for approving the President's Article III judicial nominations, including nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, 13 circuit courts and 94 district courts, including Iowa's Northern District and Southern District courts.
"Both Judge Strand and Judge Ebinger have impeccable credentials and have been through a rigorous application process, by both my commission and the White House. I appreciate the White House working with me to move these outstanding Iowans forward," Grassley said. "I look forward to seeing both nominees next week before my committee."
Grassley recommended Strand and Ebinger to the White House after an extensive effort by a Judicial Selection Commission that Grassley formed after two judges announced their intention to take senior status. The commission was comprised of highly qualified members of the Iowa legal community, and led by Cynthia Moser, a former Iowa State Bar Association president. The commission also included Richard Sapp, Jeffrey Goodman, Harlan D. Hockenberg, and Adam Freed.
These lawyers spent hundreds of hours carefully reviewing applications and interviewing each of the 39 Iowans who submitted applications and sought consideration. Eleven applicants were then selected to participate in a lengthy second interview. The commission's review included not only these interviews, but also a thorough study and examination of the applicants' professional history, credentials, and qualifications. The commission then made recommendations to Grassley, who reviewed the candidates and their qualifications before submitting his recommendations to the White House.
Strand currently serves as a U.S. magistrate judge in Sioux City for the Northern District of Iowa. He graduated first in his class from the College of Law at the University of Iowa and brings extensive experience in civil litigation from private practice in Cedar Rapids.
Ebinger is a state district judge in Polk County. She graduated from Yale Law School, was an assistant U.S. attorney in both the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa, and clerked for Judge Michael J. Melloy of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
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