Senate passes drug possession fix, sponsor votes against it Essex Porter
In late February, a slim majority of the state Supreme Court overturned the minor drug possession law because it could convict people of a felony “.without proof that the defendant even knew they possessed the substance.”
Now cities like Marysville and, just this week, Mill Creek, have been enacting their own drug laws while state lawmakers work on a fix.
Redmond Senator Manka Dhingra proposed decriminalizing small amounts of drugs for people over the age of 21, and ramping up treatment options to help people with substance use disorder.
But she ended up voting against her own bill last night, when it was changed to make minor possession a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
Time running out as lawmakers race to fix drug possession law tossed by state high court Matt Markovich, KOMO News reporter
Time running out as lawmakers race to fix drug possession law tossed by state high court
Replay Video UP NEXT
The clock is running down for a fix to the drug possession law that was thrown out by the Washington State Supreme Court in February, stripping local law enforcement agencies of the ability to make arrests for that charge.
One bill in the state legislature appears to be emerging as a middle of the road, Goldilocks consensus proposal because it has something that may please everyone who has an interest in the law. But that could mean the legislation has too much in it for all sides to reach agreement.
Time running out as lawmakers race to fix drug possession law tossed by state high court msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.