A bill that would criminalize possession of small amounts of drugs and overturn a 2020 decriminalization motion has passed the Oregon Senate and will be sent to the governor’s desk.
house bill 4002 The bill, which would recriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine, passed the Oregon House by a vote of 51-7 and was later passed by the state Senate by a vote of 21-8.
as Breitbart Possession is reportedly punishable by up to six months in prison and allows police to seize the drugs. Drug treatment may also be provided as an alternative to criminal punishment.
“This bill strengthens our commitment to ensuring Oregonians have access to the treatment and care they need,” said Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber, one of the bill’s authors. Stated.
She added that this “will be the beginning of real change for our justice system.”
new lawfive grams or more of a scheduled drug constitutes a “substantial quantity,” which carries heavier criminal penalties and can be used to justify punishment for other crimes, such as drug trafficking.
Other drugs listed included fentanyl, cocaine, and psilocybin.
Gov. Tina Kotek has not publicly said whether she will sign or veto the bill. oregon public broadcasting He noted that the governor has mentioned the idea of recriminalizing drug possession.
Much of the state’s drug use concerns stem from the opioid epidemic. Blaze News reported a number of troubling statistics, including a spike in fatal overdoses ahead of the state’s vote.
according to According to Oregon Health Authority data, there were 824 fatal overdoses in 2020. decriminalization, the number of overdose deaths in 2021 was 1,189. Preliminary data shows more than 1,100 overdose deaths in 2022.
Also OregonLive.com I got it. In the year to September 2019, 77 people were found to have died from fentanyl. In the year ending September 2023, 1,268 people died from overdose.
Other Democratic politicians also criticized the move, saying it was a return to the “punishment narrative” that has failed for half a century.
“I’m concerned that this (bill) will try and fail to use the same tactics as in the past and only reinforce a narrative of punishment that has failed for 50 years,” Democratic Sen. Lou Frederick said. Stated.
The senator also said he worries more people will end up in the court system instead of getting healthy.
At the same time, Oregon officially emergency — Enacted in late January 2024 — because of the fentanyl crisis.
The new bill reportedly encourages law enforcement and prosecutors to refer individuals convicted of possession to drug treatment programs. The bill has $211 million allocated.
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