Updated: Sep. 22, 2023, 11:58 a.m. | Published: Sep. 18, 2023, 10:00 a.m.
A man prepares to smoke fentanyl on a park bench in downtown Portland. A coalition of political leaders and strategists is calling for a prohibition on the use of hard drugs in public spaces; criminalization — again — of possession of even small amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin; and mandatory substance-abuse treatment for people accused of drug possession.
By Noelle Crombie | The Oregonian/OregonLive
A coalition of political, civic and business leaders on Monday filed paperwork with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office for two voter initiatives they say would “fix and improve” Measure 110, the state’s controversial drug-decriminalization law that voters overwhelmingly passed in 2020.
The group includes former Republican state lawmaker Max Williams, political consultant Dan Lavey, who is associated with People for Portland, longtime progressive political strategist Paige Richardson and Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton. They said they plan to lobby lawmakers to take up their ideas during a short session or a special session of the Oregon Legislature in 2024.