Updated: Mar. 01, 2024, 4:12 a.m. | Published: Feb. 29, 2024, 6:06 p.m.

The Oregon Capitol building in Salem, pictured while under construction in January, 2024. Sami Edge

By Noelle Crombie | The Oregonian/OregonLive

In unusually emotional proceedings, the Oregon House on Thursday voted to make minor drug possession a misdemeanor crime, bringing the state a step closer to ending its pioneering and fraught experiment with decriminalization.

House Bill 4002 passed in a bipartisan 51-7 vote. Four Democrats and three Republicans voted against it; two lawmakers were excused.

It is expected to get a floor vote Friday in the Senate, where it is expected to pass. Read more.