Save the Date: September 14th at 5PM @ Spokane Central Library
Please join me and a panel of experts for a community meeting to explore how Washington can best navigate the intersection of substance abuse disorder and the criminal justice system.
Early in 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the state’s felony drug possession law was unconstitutional, leaving the state without criminal penalties for drug possession. With limited time to act during an on-going Legislative session, we passed ESB 5476, a bi-partisan bill that made possession of small amounts of drugs a misdemeanor and attempted to divert perpetrators to services for at least the first two occasions they were found possessing drugs. This bill was a temporary law that will expire in July 2023.
The Legislature got it right by taking a public health approach to drug possession, but ESB 5476 is not working as well as hoped and changes are needed, both to improve the law and because the current law sunsets soon.
I see the legislature’s response to the 2021 Blake decision as being one of the most important issues we tackle in the next legislative session, and it is vitally important for me to hear the input from members of our community as we discuss our options for moving forward with a more permanent and more effective solution.
We are Hiring!
Our office has begun the search for an additional staff member to round out our team this Fall. We are looking for a policy-minded self-starter that will help provide the highest quality service for the people of the 3rd Legislative District. If you have interest or know of someone that may be a good fit, please consider applying for the position or share the job description with anyone you think may be interested. (full job description available here).
