Oregon House passes bill to recriminalize hard drug possession, effectively ending Measure 110
By Joe Hathaway on Thursday, February 29th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Northeastern Oregon News
SALEM – The Oregon House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that would re-criminalize hard drugs in the state, effectively ending Measure 110.
HB4002 passed with a 51-7 vote. It now heads to the state Senate, where it has bi-partisan support.
The bill creates a new ‘unclassified’ misdemeanor for those found in possession of hard drugs like meth, fentanyl, and heroin. After recent amendments, the bill would give law enforcement officers the authority over whether to send someone into a deflection program (which would connect drug offenders to treatment opportunities) or up to six months in jail.
Measure 110 was the 2020 voter-approved law that decriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs in Oregon.
Local state representatives Bobby Levy (R-Cove), Mark Owens (R-Crane) and Greg Smith (R-Heppner) all voted yes.
Rep. Levy issued this statement: “HB 4002, a bi-partisan bill, passed the House today. It is a step in the right direction to rectify the disastrous effects of Ballot Measure 110. There are still significant gaps that need to be addressed but it is a first step. As the bill is implemented, I am committed to ensuring that the funds are neither misused nor mismanaged. This is the start of a new day in Oregon. We must continue to fight against the rampant drug abuse in our state.”
“Our Police Chiefs, County Sheriffs, District Attorneys, Counties, and Cities believe that HB 4002 strikes a balance between criminal accountably and the need for adequate access to behavioral health resources,” said Rep. Smith, “I wholeheartedly agree and was proud to support this legislation, it’s justice with mercy”.
“It was a tough decision for me. One, we definitely needed to change the policy of Measure 110 and 4002 did that. It puts back in some accountability. But as I said on the floor, I am concerned of the lack of funding that is coming to our rural counties to actually implement a successful deflection program. That’ll be my job now in 2025 is to work with our sheriffs, DAs, police chiefs, mental health providers, and others to figure out how can we successfully do this,” said Rep. Owens. “So it is a good day for Oregonians that we recriminalize drugs. We are moving forward with more treatment centers, and maybe we’re sending a message to the rest of the United States that Oregon is no longer an open, public drug market.”
Legislators asked Oregon counties last week to pledge their support for the bill and promise to set up deflection programs, with some counties were interested, and others weren’t. Baker County said it would sign on, while Union County said it would not.
