In the wake of the Oregon Senate's approval, House Bill 4002, a contentious piece of legislation aimed at reversing Measure 110's drug decriminalization policy, is already causing an uproar among activists—who have taken to the streets of Salem in protest and the bill is now on a direct path to Gov. Tina Kotek's desk for a final decision.
Measure 110 was originally given the green light by Oregon voters back in 2020, and it decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs like fentanyl and meth, the new bill however proposes giving individuals apprehended with such substances a stark ultimatum: face the legal system or choose treatment. This includes mandatory behavioral health screenings and participation in a "deflection program" to avoid fines.
Grassroots organization Unite Oregon, represented by people of color, immigrants, refugees, and those grappling with poverty, is vocal in highlighting how the proposed recriminalization potentially worsens the already disproportionate effect on Black and Latino communities, Gloria Ochoa-Sandoval, the Policy Director at Unite Oregon, mentioned their surprise at the bill's progression despite concerns of its racial impact, telling KOIN, "Because there was no world in which we thought it would be appropriate to move forward when you’re told that a bill will have a racist impact and disproportionate impact on our communities and our lives.
Another key argument presented by the protesters was the apparent failure of Measure 110 to enhance the state's drug treatment system, a finding supported by a 2023 state audit, as mentioned by KOKH. Virginia Camberos of Unite Oregon vocalized the disapproval, stating, "This war on drugs was not effective way back in the day, and now with Measure 110—we passed that. This is what the community wanted," she also criticized the bill for not adequately supporting those struggling with addiction even though the bill is meant to allocate funds for treatment programs, offering counties an alternative to criminal charges.
Despite the pushback, many legislators consider the implications of Measure 110 to be more far-reaching, hinting at a possible alignment with the critics of the 2020 initiative who have cited loss of tax revenue and a longing for more stringent drug policies, while advocates maintain that a return to punitive approaches contradicts the progressive intent that Oregonians expressed in their original majority vote that approved Measure 110 as was mentioned in an ABC News 4 article.
