Oregon Legislature approves bill to recriminalize possession of certain drugs

CNN
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Oregon lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill that would make possession of small amounts of certain drugs in the state a misdemeanor, nearly three years after the state became the first in the nation to decriminalize drugs such as fentanyl. movement has begun towards re-criminalization. Possession and personal use of all drugs.

The bill, HB4002, now goes to Democratic Governor Tina Kotek's desk for consideration. Kotek has not publicly announced whether he supports the measure, but in late January the governor joined local officials in declaring a fentanyl emergency in downtown Portland.

Asked about the governor's next steps regarding the bill, Kotek's office did not say whether he would sign the bill, but said changes to Measure 110 would “help individuals struggling with addiction and accountability.” “It must pass a balancing test of tangible, measurable improvements in outcomes.” ”

Under the bill, offenders could face up to six months in prison or choose to undergo drug treatment in lieu of criminal punishment.

The bill passed both chambers of Congress this week with bipartisan support. The state Senate approved the bill on Friday by a vote of 21-8, after passing the state House of Representatives on a 51-7 vote the night before.

In 2020, Oregon voters moved to decriminalize a range of hard drugs, including the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, as well as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines, by passing Measure 110 with 58.5% of the vote. It came into effect in February 2021.

Under the measure approved by voters, possession of small amounts of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine would no longer be a prison sentence, but a punishment more akin to a traffic ticket. It also expanded access to addiction support and other health services.

Although early research suggests there was no link between Measure 110 and fatal overdose deaths in Oregon a year later, critics of the ballot initiative argue that the fentanyl crisis and its aftermath The government continues to vehemently criticize Measure 110, blaming it for the increase in overdose deaths.

“Look at what happened. Fentanyl is being opened, drugs are being opened on the streets,” Republican state Rep. Jeff Helfrich said, adding, “(Measure) 911 is an unmitigated disaster.” .

So supporters of HB4002 celebrated Friday a step toward rolling back aspects of the state's previous decriminalization efforts.

“While there will be much work for legislators to do in the upcoming legislative session to continue to advance the fentanyl overdose and addiction crisis facing our state, I will vote yes on HB 4002. “We were proud to be on the right side of history,” Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp said in a statement.

“Passage of this bill will put Oregon on a path to recovery and end the national decriminalization movement,” he added.

Critics of the bill, meanwhile, argue that recriminalization would disproportionately harm communities of color.

“It's not enough to just monitor a system when we know that it's a system that has built-in bias,” said Jennifer Parrish Taylor, director of advocacy and public policy at the Urban League of Portland. . “I'm worried that we'll be back next year, listening to the damage and figuring out how to make our community healthy.”

This story has been updated with additional details.