Homeland bill has states scrambling for money

Dec 1, 2002 12:00 PM

With the passage of the Homeland Security Bill, all U.S. states have begun to re-address security issues and try to find the funds to pay for them.

In Arizona, officials have organized a large-scale drill concentrating on bioterrorism preparedness. Hundreds of volunteers will pretend to be victims of a biological attack, with officials getting practice at dispensing vaccines and other antibiotics.

In Connecticut, a network is being created at every public health level, from colleges and hospitals to community health clinics and visiting nurse groups. If a biological attack should come, whether it's an anonymous anthrax-filled letter, a nuclear power plant disaster or a smallpox outbreak, the state can use the network to treat the injured and stop any pathogen from spreading, Health Commissioner Dr. Joxel Garcia said.

In Florida, officials are pleased to learn that many of the stricter screening measures to be implemented by the Senate's port security bill have already been put into place. All of the state's 14 deep-water ports have re-issued security badges, conducted background checks on employees and implemented stricter screening methods as part of a state bill passed in 2001.

At a meeting of the Republican Governors Association, some state officials expressed worry over mounting Homeland security costs. Kansas Gov. Bill Graves told The Associated Press that his state is expecting a $310 million budget shortfall — the worst in Kansas history.

Outgoing Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating told The AP that money sent from wahington so far isn't enough to allow states to buy the equipment they need.

“I see what the governors are doing, I see what the mayors are doing,” Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said. “We are far safer than we were on Sept. 11.”

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