Primus, Drotzmann say Democrats come up short trying to fix Measure 110
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, January 24th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
SALEM – The Oregon Legislature’s Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety’s plan to fix Measure 110 immediately drew criticism from Republican lawmakers, who called it Measure 110 Lite in a news release. Not all of the criticism came from the minority lawmakers, however.
The package of legislation was unveiled Tuesday in Salem and the League of Oregon Cities is also sharply critical of the plan. LOC put forth a plan of its own, and issued a statement that the fentanyl crisis can only be meaningfully addressed if all parties to the solution coordinate closely and have the necessary tools and resources to effectively engage in fighting the problem.
“The details of this proposal will be very important, and while there are a few of the elements of the law enforcement framework included, like recriminalizing possession of a small amount of serious drugs, a C misdemeanor is insufficient,” Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus, the president of the Oregon District Attorneys Association, said. “In addition, limiting communities’ ability to charge this crime only if they have a qualifying deflection program is not a statewide solution.”
He said that complicating the C misdemeanor on both the front and the back ends threatens to strip all benefits of recriminalizing possession.
“Law enforcement needs clear, meaningful, and simple solutions to this crisis,” Primus said. “The framework released today (Tuesday) is a good starting point, but is not there yet.”
Hermiston Mayor David Drotzmann agreed.
“Oregon cities have little authority under Measure 110 to intervene to protect the lives of our residents suffering from addiction or address the community safety and livability issues that stem from rampant drug abuse,” Drotzmann, who is also president of the League of Oregon Cities, said. “The co-chair proposal released today (Tuesday) has good components, but still requires cities to rely on a county or nonprofit to provide deflections services before we can act. That’s not acceptable.”
Similar statements were also issued by the Oregon State Sheriffs Association and the Association of Oregon Chiefs of Police. The groups further stated that it is a complex issue and they look forward to additional conversations as the 2024 session of the Oregon Legislature approaches next month.
