WA Legislature passes drug-possession compromise
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, May 17th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
OLYMPIA – The Washington Legislature passed a compromise bill on possession of hard drugs such as fentanyl Tuesday during a one-day special session. With a bipartisan vote, the legislation makes the possession of hard drugs a gross misdemeanor with an emphasis on treatment.
Senate Republican Leader John Braun said the legislation addresses major shortcomings in the law that has proven to be a failure the past two years. He adds the bill isn’t perfect, but it is workable.
“We have a statewide solution in front of us, one that is workable by our prosecutors, by our law enforcement, one that provides treatment, one that is absolutely focused on getting people into treatment, keeping them in treatment, and hopefully returning them to normal lives,” he said.
Braun adds that for Republicans, allowing the legalization of hard drugs was never an option. Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5536 into law Tuesday afternoon after the special session adjourned.
The signing came just in time. A temporary statute was set to expire on July 1, after which possession would be essentially decriminalized in Washington state.
