Drug possession
Drug decriminalization stumbled in Oregon. Other states are taking note.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Just before Portland’s city council approved a ban on public drug use last week, Mayor Ted Wheeler described what he’d observed on his way to work that afternoon: “The last time I saw somebody consuming what I believe to be fentanyl publicly on our streets was less than five minutes ago, three […]
State will launch ‘Refund Bureau’ for fines paid in overturned drug cases
Thousands of people whose drug possession convictions got nixed by the state Supreme Court’s Blake decision will soon have a simpler path to get money back for fines they paid. Next month, the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts will launch the Blake Refund Bureau, an online portal through which individuals can obtain reimbursements for […]
Inslee signs drug policy overhaul into law
State legislators on Tuesday approved an overhaul of state law guiding penalties and treatment options for people caught possessing illegal drugs or using them in public. The measure passed during a one-day special session focused specifically on the issue, clearing the Senate on a 43-6 vote and the House by an 83-13 margin. Gov. Jay […]
Lawmakers strike deal to ensure drug possession remains a crime
State lawmakers announced an agreement Monday to toughen the penalty for drug possession and expand pathways into treatment and away from jail for those arrested. The deal comes hours before legislators convene a special session and, barring another setback, will erase the threat that possession of illicit drugs becomes legal in July. Late Monday, legislative […]
The race begins for Washington attorney general
Democratic state Sen. Manka Dhingra, of Redmond, on Monday launched her campaign to become Washington’s next attorney general. Dhingra, a former senior deputy prosecuting attorney for King County and the current Senate deputy majority leader, is the first candidate to enter the race to succeed Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson who is campaigning for governor. […]
As overtime looms in Olympia, deal on drug possession law proves elusive
State lawmakers are gearing up for a special session next week with one purpose: setting a new course for how illegal drug possession is handled in Washington. This overtime period, the first in six years, begins May 16. It could end that day. Or it could last a month. It depends on whether legislators can […]