Washington state is rushing to approve a law on drug possession before the deadline for decriminalization.

Washington legislators are working quickly to prevent their state from being the second in the country to legalize the possession of illegal drugs.
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Jay Inslee has summoned legislators for a special session on Tuesday as they were unable to come to a consensus on a fresh drug legislation during the regular session.
The governor of Washington has signed a comprehensive gun control package that includes a ban on "assault weapons," stating that no one needs an AR-15. The state representative has acknowledged the need for such legislation since last year.
Peter Abbarno, who belongs to the Republican party, informed Fox News.
Discovering that the can had been kicked a long way down the road is quite regrettable. The issue began in 2021 when the Washington Supreme Court invalidated the state's felony prohibition on drug possession due to its lack of an intent stipulation, deeming it unconstitutional.
The legislators have made drug possession a misdemeanor crime for a limited time period, intending to find a lasting resolution.
However, the occurrence of that event is still pending, and the misdemeanor statute will no longer be valid after July 1.
According to Abbarno, there were multiple bills suggested to tackle the problem.
The Senate Bill 5536, which aimed to classify possession as a serious misdemeanor, almost got approved. However, on the last day of the legislative session, 15 Democrats voted against it, along with all 40 Republicans, resulting in its rejection.
Abbarno stated that the bill lacked the necessary provisions or strength to be effective.
The Republicans in the House contended that the jail diversion process was not strict enough and would result in a cycle of repeated offenses.
Abbarno proposed a drug possession bill that would aim to find a middle ground between "responsibility and empathy." He believes that incarcerating individuals who are battling addiction is not the solution and hopes to prevent this from happening in his community.
He expressed his desire for them to receive the necessary services, but he also emphasized the importance of holding individuals responsible for the usage and possession of hazardous drugs such as fentanyl.
Oregon legislators are contemplating reducing funding for addiction services following the decriminalization of drugs, despite the surge in overdose rates and the prevalence of public drug use in several cities. Some local authorities have implemented their own regulations to combat drug use.
The city of Marysville was the initial one in the state to make possession illegal again, and subsequently implemented another regulation that allows for the arrest of individuals who use drugs in public.
Abbarno foresees a chain reaction of cities creating their own drug laws if the state fails to substitute the misdemeanor law.
He expressed his desire for everyone to be held accountable and for them to fulfill their responsibilities in order to reach an agreement.
In 2020, Measure 110 was approved by voters in Oregon, which made it the first state in the United States to decriminalize drug possession. Oregon is located south of Washington.
As the number of overdose deaths continues to rise, there has been an increase in criticism of the law.
The state's health authority was unable to present information on the utilization of hundreds of millions of dollars that were designated for addiction treatment, as per an audit.
Abbarno, who represents a district in southwest Washington, suggests observing the actions of neighboring communities and states to identify areas for improvement.
It is not advisable to always follow them into complicated situations. According to Inslee's office, lawmakers should be able to complete special sessions within a few days if they can come to an agreement, despite the fact that they typically last for 30 days in Washington. Click here to download the Fox News app.
The state government has allocated over $600 million towards new expenditures for individuals suffering from substance abuse disorders.