SACRAMENTO – As the fentanyl crisis worses by the day, Californians were left scratching their heads when it was reported that three bills aimed at creating harsher penalties for fentanyl dealers failed to pass out of the Public Safety Committee.
It was also noted that every Black member of the Assembly voted against the bills.
California’s Democratic supermajority Legislature remains deadlocked in a debate over whether convicted fentanyl dealers should face tougher consequences and longer prison sentences, as state leaders attempt to tackle a growing crisis that is contributing to the deaths of more and more teens across the state and nation.
On Monday, Republican lawmakers in the Assembly moved to suspend rules in order to fast-track three fentanyl bills to the Assembly floor that had been held up or rejected by the Assembly Public Safety Committee. Those bills would have enhanced penalties for dealers, including those who sell the drug on social media, and those who sell drugs that end up seriously physically harming someone. The motion to suspend the rules failed on a party-line vote, 18-45, with several Democrats not voting.
Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, who represents portions of South Los Angeles, responded to questions from 2UrbanGirls and journalist Nick Hamilton on why he voted against the bills.
“It’s factually wrong,” said Bryan. “It was a Republican partisan stunt to suspend the literal rules of the house. They do it regularly. And I will always vote it down — I’ll take solutions over stunts every time.”
He was then asked what needed to be in the bill in order for him to support it.
“Life-saving overdose measures, prevention efforts, manufacturer accountability, ending the large scale supply chain, and addressing root causes in the community that lead to substance use on the demand side and I would support all of the above,” explained Bryan.
In Los Angeles County, the board of supervisors unanimously supported making Narcan, a life-saving overdose measure, available at County Libraries. Other departments are outfitted with Narcan which was used as recently as this morning when several teens overdosed in a juvenile hall facility. One overdose was fatal.
One of the bills, AB 955, would create a new crime for selling fentanyl on social media. The punishment would be three, six, or nine years in county jail.
Another, AB 367, would specifically impose at minimum, a three-year prison sentence enhancement for those convicted of selling or providing illegal fentanyl that personally inflicts great bodily injury on someone who uses the substance.
AB 1058 would have specifically increased punishment for someone who possesses with intent to sell more than 28.35 grams of illegal fentanyl in county jail up to six years, and up to 13 years for those who transport more than that amount between counties.
Bryan further explained there are nearly 25 bills heading toward the Assembly Floor from his colleagues looking at the issue from a comprehensive lens that also balances mistakes of past approaches.
“I can’t support short-sided strategies that are straight out of the 1994 crime bill playbook and do nothing to stop the systemic conditions that will keep moving,” said Bryan. “It would be easy to go that route. I’m not here for the easy route- I’m here for the right route.”
Ashley Zavala (KCRA) contributed to this report.