(The Center Square) – Snohomish County Councilmember Nate Nehring will introduce an ordinance outlawing drug possession in the county as a result of the failed Senate Bill 5536.
Nehring said addressing the issue of drug possession was one of the most important tasks of the Washington Legislature this year, but its failure to reach an agreement on a bill creates opportunities for local governments to determine their own enforcement.
“[The failed Senate Bill] is unfortunate but opens the door for counties and cities to address this issue at the local level,” Nehring said in a statement on Twitter. “I look forward to working with my colleagues at Snohomish County to adopt reasonable regulations which lead with compassion and emphasize treatment while also holding individuals accountable for their actions.”
Washington’s current drug possession statute is set to sunset on July 1 and if state lawmakers are unable to pass a new statute by then, local governments will be responsible for enforcing drug possession laws. The temporary statute was a result of the State v. Blake decision ruling that the state’s felony drug-possession statute was unconstitutional because it criminalized possession even when a person did not knowingly have drugs.
Senate Bill 5536 would have classified drug possession as a gross misdemeanor instead and increase the maximum jail sentence to 364 days in jail, $5,000 in fines, or both. Those charged with possession would have access to a pretrial diversion program if they are arrested only for possession. An assessment would be provided and if a person is found to have a substance abuse disorder, that person would be referred to treatment.
Senate Bill 5536 failed in the House by a vote of 43 to 55 on April 23, the last day of the session.
Nehring told The Center Square in an email that he believes a reasonable regulation for drug possession in Snohomish County includes the penalty of a gross misdemeanor. Nehring added that his ordinance, which is currently being drafted, will emphasize a treatment-first approach but will include accountability measures for those who refuse treatment.
The drug epidemic in Snohomish County and throughout the State of Washington has worsened in recent years. Nehring said the Blake decision caused the issue to worsen, stopping the progress the county was making on the illicit drug issue beforehand.
“Prior to Blake, we were making meaningful gains at the local level with innovative programs such as our law enforcement-embedded social worker program as well as key capital investments in facilities such as our Diversion Center, Carnegie Resource Center, etc.,” Nehring said to The Center Square. “The Blake decision and subsequent legislative inaction has kneecapped those efforts and hampered our ability to get more people off the streets and into treatment.”
This article First appeared in the center square