Introduced bill elevates drug possession crimes
March 9, 2023
OLYMPIA — A bill making its way through the Legislature would make possession of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine a gross misdemeanor.
Senate Bill 5536 passed the Senate by a 28-21 vote Friday night.
The bill is designed in response to the state Supreme Court’s 2021 ruling that the state’s drug-possession law was unconstitutional.
While the bill passed the Senate, it does not go far enough to address the drug problems, Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane said Saturday.
“This bill does not go far enough to provide the leverage needed to help people get off dangerous drugs,” he...
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