Oregon has completed a legislative U-turn from a short-lived liberal policy to decriminalize possession of small amounts of certain drugs.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) on Monday approved a 2020 voter-approved plan to decriminalize most illegal possession of controlled substance offenses and direct more of the state’s cannabis tax revenue to anti-addiction grants. Signed a bill to overturn Measure 110, the 2017 law. service.
Approximately 58% of Oregonians supported the initial measure, but since then, addiction and overdose deaths have skyrocketed in Oregon and across the nation as fentanyl spreads across the country. In August, 56% of Oregonians said they did not support the pioneering drug law, and both Republicans and Democrats introduced bills to repeal the controversial legislation.
A man smokes on a sidewalk in Portland, Oregon, on January 10, 2024. (Hannah Rae Lambert/Fox News Digital)
Oregon governor to sign bill to recriminalize illegal drugs and end free experimentation
The new law, HB 4002, makes so-called personal use possession a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in prison. This will allow police to seize drugs and control their use on sidewalks and parks. It also establishes ways in which treatment can be provided as an alternative to criminal punishment by encouraging law enforcement to create diversion programs that direct people to addiction and mental health services instead of the criminal justice system. .
The changes will take effect from September 1st.
In his signature letter, Kotek said the law’s success depends on “deep collaboration” between courts, police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and local mental health providers, calling them “the key to this bill.” “We are the partner we need to achieve our vision.”
Oregon House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich said he supports the governor’s decision, calling it an important first step in addressing the state’s ongoing drug crisis.
“Republicans came together to force Democrats to recriminalize drugs, which is what the people of Oregon are demanding,” Helfrich said, according to KEZI news agency.
Rep. Tim Knopp (R-Ore.) echoed Helfrich’s sentiments, saying more work is needed to address the state’s drug crisis, but this would put an end to the liberal experiment. .
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek during a signing ceremony on February 23, 2024 in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
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“Make no mistake, this bill does not go far enough to undo the devastation of Measure 110,” Knopp said in a statement. “House Republicans are ready to continue the work we started and bring real change to Salem in the next Congress.”
“Now that the governor has put his stamp of approval on the recriminalization bill, we can finally close the chapter on Oregon’s experiment in decriminalizing hard drugs.”
“HB 4002 is not a perfect solution. Lawmakers will need to do more work in future legislative sessions. But it sets the standard for how states should address the drug addiction crisis. Law enforcement and the behavioral health system should work together to help Oregonians suffering from chronic addiction seek life-saving treatment.”
Photo illustration of drugs and portland. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times, Getty Images, Hannah Rae Lambert/Fox News Digital)
Bill 110 would direct hundreds of millions of dollars in state cannabis tax revenue to addiction services. But funding has been slow to come to the public, and health officials already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic are struggling to set up new treatment systems, state auditors found. did. At the same time, the fentanyl crisis began to cause an increase in fatal overdoses.
That pressure has led the Oregon Democratic Party to change its stance on decriminalization policies in recent months.
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Kotek, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County Chairwoman Jessica Vega Pederson in February placed a 90-day state of emergency in downtown Portland, citing the public health and public safety crisis caused by fentanyl. declared.
of Cancellable bill The bill passed the House 51-7 and the state Senate 21-8, with Democrats holding majorities in both chambers.
Michael Bock, a private security guard in Portland, told Fox News in February that fentanyl overdoses in Multnomah County, the state’s most populous county, increased 533% between 2018 and 2022. Dealers act with “absolute impunity” and distribute drugs as they do, he said. That is “7-Eleven”.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
