by: Michaela Bourgeois
Posted: Sep 29, 2023 / 04:06 PM PDT
Updated: Sep 29, 2023 / 04:06 PM PDT
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Oregon legislature created a new joint committee aiming to tackle the state’s drug addiction crisis.
The bipartisan Joint Interim Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response is tasked with keeping addiction treatment services accessible, ensuring law enforcement has tools to keep communities safe and will review policies — including drug decriminalization Measure 110.
Officials said on Friday the committee will make sure the measure’s outcomes are “in-line with voters’ intent of connecting people to treatment instead of criminal punishment for low-level possession.”
“The goal of this committee is simple: to save lives and make our communities safer,” Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) said in a statement. “Oregonians are being harmed every day by this crisis and we all have a part to play in finding a path forward. It is a complex problem that demands a comprehensive solution and we are committed to working toward a solution this session and into the long term.”