Lawmakers will consider the compromise Tuesday when they return to Olympia for a special session.
before adjourning late last month.
A temporary, 2-year-old law that makes intentional drug possession illegal is due to expire July 1. So unless the compromise passes, drug possession — even of fentanyl and other dangerous opiates — will become decriminalized under state law. The only other state that’s tried decriminalizing drug possession is neighboring Oregon, Lawmakers on both sides said the agreement strikes a balance between compassion and accountability for those struggling with substance abuse disorder. Rep.
In 2021, the Washington Supreme Court struck down the state law making drug possession a felony. It was unconstitutional, the court said, because it did not require prosecutors to prove someone knowingly had the drugs. Washington was the only state in the country without that requirement. But as this year’s session ended late last month, a measure billed as a compromise was voted down in the Democratic-controlled House 55-43.
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