Washington state lawmakers made strides to address the opioid crisis and ban a controversial policing practice with bipartisan support.
by HALLIE GOLDEN Associated PressFILE - People watch House floor proceedings from the gallery on the first day of the legislative session at the Washington state Capitol, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Olympia, Wash. In a busy, 60-day Washington state legislative session, lawmakers made bipartisan strides to address the opioid crisis and tweak policing practices but fell short in getting some of the most anticipated progressive bills across the finish line.
Meanwhile an effort to expand the state’s curbside recycling program fizzled out early on. It would have shifted the responsibility from local governments to the companies producing the waste. “It’s really unfortunate that people would put a hypothetical risk above what is a known and devastating problem for far too many Washingtonians, which is sky rocketing rents,” she said, adding that she will introduce the proposal again next year.
A bill that requires colleges and universities to provide opioid education to students and make naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication, widely available, passed easily through both legislative bodies. And a proposed measure that requires the Department of Health to add an overdose prevention campaign received unanimous support.
Native Americans and Alaska Natives in Washington die of opioid overdoses at five times the state average, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that includes provisional numbers for 2021-2022.LAW ENFORCEMENT
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