(Spencer)– The Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force Tuesday was awarded a 12-thousand dollars grant through the state to help cover a shortfall in federal funds for drug enforcement and prevention efforts.
It’s part of the Byrne-Justice Assistance Grant and Residential Substance Abuse Treatment program.
3.8 million dollars in grants were awarded through the program to 31 projects throughout Iowa by the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy. The money will be available July 1st, the start of the state’s fiscal year.
In addition, U-S Senator Tom Harkin announced Tuesday he’s secured 616 million dollars for the same program in the Fiscal Year 2008 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill…a 50 percent increase over 2006.
That would be good news for Iowa, which saw it’s federal funding for drug enforcement and prevention efforts reduced by over 40 percent from 2003 to 2006.
