Washington Lawmakers Pass Bill To Prevent Drug Decriminalization, With Governor Immediately Signing

“Over and over again we’ve heard that any solution we’ve proposed needs to put treatment options in front, I believe this…amendment does that.”

The Washington Legislature on Tuesday passed a new law to create a gross misdemeanor penalty for drug possession and to build out substance-use treatment programs, marking the end of a tortured two-year legislative journey to reshape how the state treats narcotics.

On the first day of a special legislative session called specifically to address the issue, lawmakers passed a new, compromise version of Senate Bill 5536. By Tuesday evening, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) had signed the bill into law, and the special session had adjourned.

I signed SB5536 today. This bill is not designed to fill our jails, it’s designed to fill our treatment centers. Drugs have stolen free will from some of our fellow Washingtonians, but we love them. We care for them. And we want to help.https://t.co/Jspzzc7Rir

— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) May 17, 2023

The Legislature struggled to find a compromise law during this year’s regularly scheduled legislative session. It ended late last month with lawmakers failing to pass a proposal in the session’s final hours, when the Democratic-controlled House couldn’t find the votes needed

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“Over and over again we’ve heard that any solution we’ve proposed needs to put treatment options in front, I believe… Continue reading
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