The following report is by KOIN 6:
House Bill 4002 effectively reverses Measure 110, which has received mixed feedback since it was approved by voters in 2020.
In a previous statement, Gov. Kotek said she intended to sign the bill within 30 days of its passage in the Oregon Senate in early March.
“I intend to sign House Bill 4002 and the related prevention and treatment investments within the next 30 days. As Governor, my focus is on implementation. My office will work closely with each implementing authority to set expectations, specifically in response to the Criminal Justice Center’s Racial Equity Impact Statement, which projected disproportionate impacts to communities of color and the accompanying concerns raised by advocates. House Bill 4002 will require persistent action and commitment from state and local government to uphold the intent that the legislature put forward: to balance treatment for individuals struggling with addiction and accountability.”
HB 4002 will give people the choice between being charged and treatment when they are caught carrying drugs like fentanyl and meth. Treatment includes completing a behavioral health screening and participating in a “deflection program” in order to sidestep fines.
Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber, who worked directly on crafting the legislation, said she believes Portland will see a difference on the streets in the coming weeks.
However, criminalization will not go into effect until September 2024.
However, many local advocates have expressed concerns over potential racial disparities with recriminalization as well as the impact on an already-burdened public defender shortage statewide.
The executive director of the Health Justice Recovery Alliance, Tera Hurst, previously called HB 4002 a costly step in the wrong direction.
“We do have plenty of data that the criminalization of addiction doesn’t work,” Hurst said. “When it becomes a crime again, people go back into the shadows and – especially with fentanyl – when they go back to the shadows, they die.”
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
Oregon, this progressive cesspit of wickedness and abomination, continues to outdo itself. Now that they decriminalized drug use there, and the problem got worse – now how in the world do they even hope to intend on reinforcing it? Answer: they won’t.
SEE: Portland Oregon Rolls Out New Surveillance System To Monitor Homeless Encampments
Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.
Ezekiel 7:23
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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DURR let’s decriminalize all drugs and make all of them legal, what could possibly go wrong?
DURR Thinking is hard!
LOLOLOL, what’s the line in Forest Gump’ “stupid is as stupid does”
When I grew up, these kind of folks had to take the “short bus” to school!
I bet Tina Kotek took the short bus all the way to college and she wore a helmet too.
No offense to anybody with true disabilities.
How about we criminalize & enforce the laws against those promoting & dealing the drugs?
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Oh, yeah. Then our government & the bad part of our healthcare system would be gone. Hey…..