The question is not whether progressives can succeed at removing criminalization from the bill, but whether they can hold the line against an upcoming push to make it a felony to possess fentanyl in any amount. by alex_burness
is being hammered by police, Republicans and some Democrats for not including stiffer criminal penalties, specifically for those who possess the drug. It’s also being criticized by progressives and harm reduction experts and advocates for relying too heavily on criminalization when handcuffs and jail cells have proven ineffective at treating drug addiction and stopping drug trade.
Police chiefs and sheriffs have been pushing the bill’s architect, Democratic House Speaker Alec Garnett of Denver, to make possession of any amount of fentanyl a felony. He has all along said he doesn’t believe that’s a reasonable policy and that he does not want the state to lock people up for minor possession. He’s consistently characterized War on Drugs policies as failures.
“What I’m trying to figure out is how can we move forward in a way that allows the judicial system to continue to weigh these decisions on an individual basis, while at the same time recognizing that fentanyl is very, very dangerous.” The committee chair, Democratic Rep. Mike Weissman, said he’s undecided, and two progressive Democratic members of the committee, Reps. Steven Woodrow and Jennifer Bacon, said they oppose felony penalties for possession. The remaining members, Republican Reps. Terri Carver, Matt Soper and Stephanie Luck, are expected to seek to lower the threshold for felony possession to zero.Woodrow said he’ll miss Tuesday’s hearing as he prepares for surgery.
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