GOP lawmakers in Oregon are laying out their strategy to dismantle a law that decriminalizes drug use, while House Democrats are eyeing a more modest proposal.
Republicans seek to introduce a bill that would effectively end Measure 110, citing the legislation as a failure, Fox News reported.
“We see the results on the streets, in the unacceptable overdose death rate and in the catastrophic consequences to our communities, to public safety and to livability,” Republican state Rep. Rick Lewis, a sponsor of the new bill, said. “Change is needed, and we can’t afford to take small steps that fail to adequately address the problem.”
Measure 110, approved by more than half of Oregon voters in 2020, decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs in an effort to not “punish” those facing addiction. The bill also diverted the state’s marijuana tax revenue to sponsor organizations helping people struggling with substance abuse.
However, polls have since shown that Oregon citizens support recriminalizing drugs such as fentanyl, heroin, and meth by bypassing jail time and requiring people to undergo treatment services in light of an escalating number of overdoses, according to DHM Research.
The Republican-drafted bill would criminalize those who possess hard drugs as a Class A misdemeanor, offering treatment instead of jail time. The bill would also make using drugs in public illegal and establish longer prison sentences for drug dealers who have multiple convictions or sell drugs to someone, resulting in their death.
“Enabling people to live on the streets and poison themselves is not compassionate,” Republican state Rep. Tracy Cramer said in a statement.
In November, House Republicans wrote a letter to Oregon Democratic leaders, including Gov. Tina Kotek (D-OR), with plans to help solve the state’s drug crisis.
“Each day that this horrendous policy remains in place creates more opportunity for drug dealers to take advantage of vulnerable Oregonians,” House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich said in a statement.
While Democratic leaders of the state seem to acknowledge the increase in drug problems, many still reject efforts to make drug use completely illegal, suggesting lower crime classifications such as Class C for drug possession.
In a statement continuing their support for Measure 110, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, Health Justice Recovery Alliance, and other groups wrote that laws criminalizing people for addiction are “cruel, harmful and a failure of leadership.”
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“We cannot regress back to the failed war on drug tactics that harm Black, brown, and poor people and make drug addiction, overdose deaths, and homelessness more difficult and expensive to solve,” the statement continued.
State Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber said in a statement that efforts will be made to work with Republicans to create a plan to improve drug problems facing communities by “vetting ideas through a public process.”
