A Proven Record Of Fighting Drugs And Crime To Keep Montana Safe

A Proven Record Of Fighting Drugs And Crime To Keep Montana Safe Max understands that for Montanans to enjoy the full-quality of life that the Last Best Place has to offer, it is essential to be protected from drugs and crime.

Max is determined to eliminate Montana's drug problem—specifically to stamp out the scourge of methamphetamine; to prevent the northern border from becoming a back door for terrorism and other illegal activity; and to ensure that Montana has the best trained, best equipped law-enforcement personnel.

Building on the funds he has already secured from the federal government, Max will continue to fight to get Montana the resources needed to defeat crime and drug use.

Leading The Fight To End Methamphetamine and Drug Abuse In Our Communities

  • Max helped write and pass the Meth Remediation bill which required agencies to develop adequate meth clean-up guidelines, authorizing a research program to develop meth detection equipment, helping law enforcement agents detect active meth labs faster, and requires a study on the long-term health impacts of children exposed to meth labs.
  • Max cosponsored the Indian Tribes Methamphetamine Reduction Grants Act of 2007 to allow Indian tribes to be eligible recipients under programs created years earlier that address the manufacture, sale, and use of meth as well as aid children in homes in which meth or other drugs are made, sold, or used.
  • Max was proud to announce a $1 million grant for the Montana Board of Crime Control to help combat illegal drugs. The grant was awarded through the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants which Max has continually fought to keep properly funded.
  • Max cosponsored the Combat Meth Act which became law and placed pseudoephedrine behind the counter and provided the much needed increased regulation on the sale of the pseudoephedrine.
  • Max fought relentlessly for two years and got Montana accepted into the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) federal program which helps law enforcement battle illicit drugs in western states.
  • Max spoke up to Congress and pressured the President to prevent cuts to the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, or HIDTA, the federal program that helps law enforcement battle illicit drugs in Montana and other Rocky Mountain states. Months later, a Senate panel fully funded HIDTA. As of 2005, the program had pumped more than a half a million dollars into Montana and helped Montana law enforcement reduce the number of meth labs.
  • Max introduced the Rural Drug Initiative which became law and called for an additional $12 million a year to be allotted to drug enforcement efforts in rural areas.
  • Max cosponsored the Anti-Drug Abuse Act which became law and mandated minimum sentencing for serious drug offenses, stiffened penalties for money-laundering, expanded seizure and forfeiture of assets derived from criminal activity, and authorized $230 million for state and local drug enforcement.

Keeping Dangerous Criminals Off Montana's Streets and Enhancing The Capabilities Of Montana's Police

  • Max cosponsored the Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2007 which passed the Senate and calls for increasing and enhancing law enforcement resources committed to the investigation and prosecution of violent gangs
  • Max cosponsored the COPS Improvements Act of 2007, which expands the Attorney General's authority to make grants for public safety and community policing programs.
  • Following reports of gross mismanagement at tribal detention facilities, Max introduced legislation to allow Montana's Indian tribes to issue tax-credit bonds to help build or improve jails – including juvenile detention centers.
  • Max voted for the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act which was signed into law and placed an additional 70 police officers on the streets of Montana, authorized $30.2 billion for law enforcement and crime measures, authorized $8.8 billion to states and localities to increase law enforcement resources, and authorized $1 billion to hire new police officers

Making Schools, Streets And Homes Safer For Our Children

  • In 2007, Max was proud to announce over $500,000 in grants to be given to Gang Resistance Education and Training programs.
  • Max secured over $2 million in order to fund two important after-school and at-risk youth programs at The University of Montana.
  • Max tightened coordination within the Montana Juvenile Probation Officers Association, making Montana's juvenile rehabilitation system more effective.
  • Max designated money to improve Missoula's Youth Drug Court Program.
  • Max backed a juvenile crime prevention bill that set aside money for school counseling, drug treatment and after-school programs, all of which aim to reduce school violence.
  • Because violent juvenile crime peaks between the hours of 3:00 and 7:00pm, Max sought to reduce youth violence by increasing funding for after-school programs.
  • Max supported legislation to give local schools more tools to prevent youth violence, provide block grants to place safety officers at our schools, and create a national center for School Safety and Youth Violence to help parents and communities respond to emergencies.
  • Max has repeatedly sponsored legislation pushing for tighter internet restrictions to protect our children from online predators.

Fighting To Protect Victim's Rights

  • Max was proud to announce over $350,000 for Ravalli County to address gaps in the judicial system and increase services to victims of domestic violence.
  • Max cosponsored the Prevention First Act which included a provision that called for requiring hospitals who receive federal funding to offer and provide emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault if requested.
  • Max cosponsored the Violence Against Women Act which became law and included a mandate for restitution to victims of sexual assault and sexual exploitation.

Ensuring Protection At The Nation's Borders

  • As Chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, Max requested an investigation by the Government Accountability Office to determine potential security lapses in our northern border.
  • Max secured $40 million for the Northern Border Security Air Wing Base in Great Falls.
  • Max helped secure a 10% increase in armed Customs and Border Protection at Montana ports of entry
  • Max introduced legislation requiring the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a pilot program using unarmed aerial vehicles to patrol the northern border
  • Max included an amendment in the Port Security Act requiring the Customs and Border Protection Agency to examine the changing movement of meth and its precursor chemicals across our borders
  • Max urged President Bush to improve security along the nation's northern border, which includes several customs stations in Montana.
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