Special Session For drug Possession Law Called by Inslee

Special Session for Drug Possession –    (The Square in the Center) During the 105-day regular session that ended on April 23, lawmakers were unable to adopt a new drug possession statute, therefore Washington state Governor Jay Inslee said on Tuesday that he will convene a special legislative session to begin on May 16.

According to a news release from Inslee’s office, “my office and I have been meeting with legislators from all four caucuses and I am very optimistic about reaching an agreement that can pass both chambers.” “Counties and cities want a statewide policy that strikes a balance between treatment and accountability, and I think we can create a bipartisan bill that does just that.  The desire to pass a bill is shared by caucus leaders, though specifics are still being worked out.

Starting the timer on May 16 will, in my opinion, put us on the right track to finishing this month’s work. Sen. John Braun, a Republican from Centralia, disagrees with Inslee’s upbeat assessment of the situation. According to his own news release, the Senate minority leader, “the governor had indicated he would not call a special session until legislative leaders reached an agreement that is worth bringing before each chamber.” To be clear, though there have been fruitful bipartisan discussions over the past week, we are not yet at that point.  His announcement today was unexpected in that regard.

Republicans have insisted on a new drug possession policy that actually benefits all parties involved, including law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and local governments, Braun continued. To save lives, free people from the despair that comes with drug addiction to substances like fentanyl, and reclaim our sidewalks, they need more power. For the upcoming special session, that is still the best course of action. We must improve. Following the 2021 State v. Blake decision, which declared Washington’s felony drug possession law unconstitutional, lawmakers created a “Blake fix” that temporarily reduced drug possession to a misdemeanor. The provisions of that temporary measure come to an end on July 1. (The Square in the Center) During the 105-day regular session that ended on April 23, lawmakers were unable to adopt a new drug possession statute, therefore Washington state Governor Jay Inslee said on Tuesday that he will convene a special legislative session to begin on May 16.

According to a news release from Inslee’s office, “my office and I have been meeting with legislators from all four caucuses and I am very optimistic about reaching an agreement that can pass both chambers.” “Counties and cities want a statewide policy that strikes a balance between treatment and accountability, and I think we can create a bipartisan bill that does just that. The desire to pass a bill is shared by caucus leaders, though specifics are still being worked out. Starting the timer on May 16 will, in my opinion, put us on the right track to finishing this month’s work.Sen. John Braun, a Republican from Centralia, disagrees with Inslee’s upbeat assessment of the situation.