Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek will sign a bill recriminalizing small amounts of illicit drugs again, according to a statement from the governor's office on Thursday, subsequently ending the liberal state's short-lived drug policy.
House Bill 4002 will reverse the short-lived Measure 110, a 2020 law that voters approved to decriminalize most illegal possession of controlled substance offenses and redirect much of the state's marijuana tax revenue to fund grants for addiction services.
"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," Kotek said in a statement.
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Lawmakers made a U-turn on the controversial 2020 measure this week in the legislature, after addiction and overdose deaths skyrocketed in Oregon over the last two years.
HB 4002 will now give illicit users an ultimatum: Be criminally charged or get treatment if caught with hard drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine. It also makes the possession of small amounts of drugs such as heroin or methamphetamine a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail. It enables police to confiscate the drugs and crack down on their use on sidewalks and in parks.
Additionally, the bill aims to make it easier to prosecute people who sell drugs and increase access to addictive medication.
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"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," Kotek's statement read.
Kotek, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson last month declared a 90-day state of emergency for downtown Portland over the public health and public safety crisis fueled by fentanyl.
Portland private security guard Michael Bock told Fox News last month that fentanyl overdoses rose by 533% in Multnomah County, the state's most populous county, between 2018 and 2022. Dealers act with "absolute impunity," he said, and hand out drugs like they are a "7-Eleven."
"With this bill, we are doubling down on our commitment to make sure Oregonians have access to the treatment and care that they need," said Democratic Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber of Portland, one of the bill’s authors, adding that its passage will "be the start of real and transformative change for our justice system."
Fox News' Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
