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Bluelight Crew
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In November, Art Way, manager of the Drug Policy Alliance's Colorado branch, previewed a Good Samaritan bill intended to prevent those who call 911 when a friend is overdosing from being arrested for doing so. Despite law-enforcement opposition, the bill passed the Senate yesterday -- but big obstacles lie ahead.
Simply getting the bill, known as SB-20, out of the Senate judiciary committee earlier this month was touch and go, Way concedes. Advocating on behalf of the measure were the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and a number of other organizations, as well as "a few people who had personal stories to tell," he says. "We had family members, sons as well as friends who overdosed -- some who survived, and some who didn't. It was a very emotional yet on-point discussion of the recent epidemic of overdoses primarily caused by opiates, and it really brought home how widespread the issue is."
Not that everyone was convinced. As Way recalls, "law enforcement was there in opposition," and in force. "At the time of the hearing, I only expected the Colorado District Attorneys' Council, but it appears they rallied the wagons. The state sheriffs association was there as well, and the attorney general's office sent someone to testify against the bill. And the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police was there, although no one from there testified.
"It was really disturbing," Way continues. "Really all I heard from the testimony was, 'We are not going to be able to put felony charges on people in cases of overdose when they have a small amount of drugs in their possession,' or 'We want to be able to charge them with distribution regarding that small amount.'"
cont. http://blogs.westword.com/latestwor..._alliance_911_overdose_bill_passes_senate.php
Simply getting the bill, known as SB-20, out of the Senate judiciary committee earlier this month was touch and go, Way concedes. Advocating on behalf of the measure were the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and a number of other organizations, as well as "a few people who had personal stories to tell," he says. "We had family members, sons as well as friends who overdosed -- some who survived, and some who didn't. It was a very emotional yet on-point discussion of the recent epidemic of overdoses primarily caused by opiates, and it really brought home how widespread the issue is."
Not that everyone was convinced. As Way recalls, "law enforcement was there in opposition," and in force. "At the time of the hearing, I only expected the Colorado District Attorneys' Council, but it appears they rallied the wagons. The state sheriffs association was there as well, and the attorney general's office sent someone to testify against the bill. And the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police was there, although no one from there testified.
"It was really disturbing," Way continues. "Really all I heard from the testimony was, 'We are not going to be able to put felony charges on people in cases of overdose when they have a small amount of drugs in their possession,' or 'We want to be able to charge them with distribution regarding that small amount.'"
cont. http://blogs.westword.com/latestwor..._alliance_911_overdose_bill_passes_senate.php
