How many times can you spot the letter l in:
A federal order criminalizing fentanyl-related drugs is being extended just days before it was set to expire.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, applauded the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday for passing compromise legislation that will extend the order until May 6, 2021.
He urged President Donald Trump to sign the legislation into law.
In February 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued the emergency order, allowing federal law enforcement authorities to bring criminal actions against those who manufacture, distribute or handle fentanyl-related substances.
Justin Herdman, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland, said the passage is a positive step.
We are encouraged by the Congressional action to approve the extension and deeply appreciate the efforts made by our Ohio senators and representatives who voted in favor of this measure, he said in an emailed statement Thursday.
It’s rare that we are able to say, without a doubt, that a piece of legislation will absolutely save lives, but that is exactly what this extension means.
Herdman, whose office prosecutes drug cases linked to the Canton, Akron, Youngstown and Cleveland areas as well as other parts of the state, has been warning that the temporary order’s Feb. 6 expiration would be devastating.
This week on Twitter, he posted: Narcotics, traffickers, illicit manufacturers [and] Mexican cartels all know the chemistry [and] our law.
They will exploit this vulnerability unless the ban is re-authorized, he wrote.
This month, Herdman convened a roundtable discussion on the issue, attended by officials with the FBI and DEA as well as representatives of Portman and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.
Also attending were Cuyahoga County officials, including representatives of law enforcement, public health and treatment and recovery.
Expiration of the temporary order would jeopardize the efforts of federal investigators, law enforcement and prosecutors to combat drug pipelines flowing from China and Mexico, Herdman said.
Fentanyl and its related compounds have killed more than 10,000 Ohioans since 2013, Herdman said, citing figures from the Ohio Department of Health.
Long-term legislation is still being sought.
During the recent gathering, Portman called in from Washington and said bipartisan legislation he’s championing would make permanent the DEA’s temporary scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances, also known as analogues.
Last year, Portman and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, introduced legislation titled the FIGHT Fentanyl Act.
We must take action to criminalize these drugs permanently, Portman said in the news release. Fentanyl knows no ZIP code and is devastating individuals and families in Ohio and all across the country.
On Thursday, Herdman said he remains hopeful that a permanent ban on fentanyl analogues is possible within the near-term.
Herdman said his office is looking forward to providing any information, as necessary, to advance that effort.
His Cleveland office covers 40 counties, including Carroll, Mahoning, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Columbiana, Holmes, Wayne and Cuyahoga.
Ohio law still allows suspects to be charged and prosecuted for crimes tied to fentanyl-related compounds, Stark County Assistant Prosecutor Fred Scott said.
State and federal laws are independent of each other, he said, noting Ohio has its own fentanyl-related compounds statute.
Scott, however, acknowledged that federal investigations are usually of a significantly larger scope and can be tied to local drug trafficking and overdose deaths.

user
The passage contains 133 "l"s.
assistant