On Wednesday, the 31 Democrats in the Oregon House refused to approve HB 3535, sponsored by Andy Olson of Albany and others, which called for 1 percent of the estimated general fund revenue to be budgeted for the patrol division of the Oregon State Police. The idea was to make sure the agency would have enough money to beef up its force so that it could once again patrol the major highways around the clock. But the majority didn't go for it, instead sending the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Just the day before, on Tuesday, legislators could have seen an example of what more troopers on I-5 might accomplish.

The OSP said that at about 11:30 that day, "troopers arrested two people, one who was wanted as a fugitive from justice, and seized more than $90,000 cash during a traffic stop … on Interstate 5 about two miles north of Salem."

A senior trooper had stopped a 2005 BMW with California plates for going 79 miles an hour in a 65-mph zone. A drug-sniffing dog was brought in and "alerted" on the car. A search found no drugs but came up with bundles of cash. One of the occupants turned out to be wanted in California on drug charges. He also was charged with money laundering, as was the other occupant.

It is a mystery why drug criminals draw attention to themselves by driving up and down from California and exceeding the speed limit. But there is a strong suspicion that the smarter ones don't do this during the day when you can occasionally spot a trooper keeping an eye on traffic. Instead, the smarter ones presumably do their driving at night when the state police stations in Albany and elsewhere are unmanned and the few remaining troopers are off duty. And if the dumb ones are the kind with Beemers and $90,000 in the trunk, you can just image how much more money is involved with the more adept people in that illicit trade.

That is why we need round-the-clock policing on our freeways, and why we need more troopers generally, so that even during the day, patrols can be more frequent and consistent. We need this not just for general safety but in order to deter the drug runners on I-5 by catching a few more of them.

Jeff Merkley, the House speaker, says everybody in the House supports more funding for the state police but a dedicated funding source needs to be identified, other than just general fund dollars.

With or without a new tax, if the House leaders want to be believed that they want the state police at full strength, they had better make sure they approve a budget meeting that goal.