Oregon is ready to end its “experiment” with drug decriminalization, according to a state senator. This comes as skyrocketing overdose deaths and public drug use forced the state legislature to reintroduce criminal penalties for possession in the Beaver State.
“About four Oregonians die every day from overdoses,” state Sen. Tim Knopp, a Republican and the Senate minority leader, told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday.
“Oregon voters were sold an idea through an initiative that was on the ballot, which decriminalized all hard drugs: fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine,” he said.
OREGONIANS SUPPORT ENDING DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION AMID RISE IN OVERDOSE, 'RADICALIZED MOVEMENT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE'
The opioid epidemic continues to rage in the United States. It even forced Oregon lawmakers to backtrack on the state's progressive drug decriminalization policy. (iStock)
“Instead of the treatment that voters thought they were going to get for their drug addicted and addicted family and friends, they ended up getting rampant drug use, drug sales in all of our major cities in Oregon, and it became an exponential increase in overdose deaths.”
The three-year decriminalization “experiment” began in 2020, when nearly 60% of voters supported the passage of Measure 110, which decriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs such as fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin and made possession punishable by a maximum fine of $100.
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Oregon HB 4002 now heads to Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek's desk. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File)
The measure has since fallen out of favor as widespread concerns about the fentanyl crisis, homelessness and declining public safety have come into the spotlight.
“What we had is more crime, open drug use, open drug sales, and you see people on drugs almost everywhere, and they were literally dying before our eyes on the streets of Portland, Eugene, Salem and major cities in Oregon “It's been horrible,” Knopp said.
The Oregon Senate voted 21-8 to recriminalize hard drugs with HB 4002 on Friday, following in the footsteps of the state House, where the bill received mostly bipartisan support.
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According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, the bill also expands access to opioid withdrawal medications, creates addiction services facilities, and allows prosecutors to “seek tough penalties for drug traffickers.”
The bill now heads to Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek's desk.
According to the report, Kotek has refused to make clear his position on the bill, but has previously expressed support for reinstating criminal penalties for drug possession.
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Fox News' Kassy Dillon contributed to this report.
