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Gov. Jay Inslee signs the "Blake fix? bill regarding drug possession on May 16, 2023 balancing treatment and accountability.
A special session of the Washington State Legislature adjourned in a matter of hours Tuesday as Gov. Jay Inslee signed?SB 5536?to settle the matter of appropriate sanction for drug possession in the state.
The signing was just in time ? a temporary statute was set to expire on July 1, after which possession would be essentially decriminalized in Washington state. Local governments were preparing to enact their own ordinances which would result in a confusing patchwork of laws.
Lawmakers nearly had a deal on a permanent fix during the regular session that ended April 23, but it fell apart just before the final gavel. That urgent but unfinished business prompted the governor's call for a special session.
The new statute prioritizes treatment, establishes a gross misdemeanor penalty for drug possession and public use of drugs and offers some local control to municipalities.
?This bill is not designed to fill our jails, it?s designed to fill our treatment centers,? said Inslee. ?And the investments we?re making will create treatment resources in small townships and big cities. This is a statewide solution to a statewide problem.?
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