Seattle officials want to prosecute drug possession and public drug use
Drug possession law to fund treatment centers
A recently passed state bill will make sure drug possession in Washington is still illegal, when a current temporary law expires in July.
SEATTLE - Seattle elected officials proposed legislation that would allow the city attorney's office to charge and prosecute those who possess and use drugs in a public space.
The legislation was proposed by city attorney Ann Davison and city council members Sara Nelson and Alex Pedersen. It was proposed after Gov. Jay Inslee signed a new drug possession bill into law, making it a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to nine months in jail and encourages defendants to enter treatment.
The legislation would keep Seattle cases out of the hands of the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. The goal is to make sure cases are acted on more quickly. Davison, Nelson and Pedersen say this would ultimately lead to interrupting the cycle of addiction and helping move people into recovery centers faster.
Washington lawmakers pass bill keeping drugs illegal
Washington lawmakers approved a major new drug policy as they returned to work for a special session Tuesday, saying it strikes a balance between public order and compassion for those struggling with substance abuse.
"Seattle residents, local leaders and our elected officials have made it clear that enough is enough. The epidemic of drug use on our streets must be addressed. I’m gratified that the State has arrived at a bipartisan agreement and now it is time for Seattle to adopt those laws," said Davison. "We need to use all the tools available to us at both a State and local level to move more people into treatment. Every day we delay, more lives are lost to substances."
"The time for complacency on public drug use is over and we must use all the tools at our disposal to interrupt the cycle of addiction and help move people into recovery," said Nelson. "Now that Olympia has appropriated resources for treatment and adopted a fix for Blake, we’re bringing our legislation into alignment to remove any further cause for inaction on the most critical public health and public safety issue of our time."
Davison, Nelson, and Pedersen introduced the Seattle bill to prohibit public use of illegal drugs on April 27 to fill the gap in the law when the state legislature initially adjourned without a statewide fix.
Inslee called a special session and adapted the new possession law at a state level on May 16. This Seattle bill conforms to the statewide bill that was recently passed.