Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) expressed frustration with Senate Democrats’ handling of the fentanyl crisis, after commonsense measures to address the issue failed to clear the Senate Public Safety Committee.
“Right now in Sacramento the Progressives are calling the shots within the Democratic Party, and they’ve made it crystal clear they are not serious about finding solutions to the fentanyl crisis,” said Senator Wilk. “Fentanyl is pure poison, and it is now the leading cause of death for young people in the United States. The very least we should do is hold dealers accountable for their deadly actions. Standing back and doing nothing is frankly a slap in the face to victims and their families.”
Here several bills that were been shot down in the Senate Public Safety Committee:
- Senate Bill 44 (Umberg) - Senator Wilk was a Co-author. This bipartisan measure introduced by Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) and Senator Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) with more than 20 Senate co-authors, was struck down twice by four Democrats on the Senate Public Safety Committee - once on March 28 and again when an amended version of the bill was killed on April 25. SB 44 simply would ensure fentanyl dealers are fully aware they will be held accountable for selling the lethal drug by requiring the courts to advise individuals convicted of fentanyl sales and manufacturing-related offenses that subsequent offenses could result in a charge of voluntary manslaughter or murder.
- Senate Bill 237 (Grove) - Senator Wilk was a Co-author. SB 237 would increase penalties for any person who possesses fentanyl for sale or purchase for sale by two years (to 4, 5, or 6 years), transport, sale, and distribution by four years (to 7, 8, or 9 years), and trafficking by four years (to 7, 10, or 13 years).
- Senate Bill 325 (Grove) - Would add penalties of 3, 4, or 5 years of additional punishment for the buying, selling, and transporting of “rainbow” fentanyl.
- Senate Bill 62 (Nguyen) - Would add fentanyl to the list of controlled substances (currently heroin, cocaine base, and cocaine) which are eligible for an additional prison term (i.e. a sentence enhancement) ranging from three to twenty-five year based on the volume of the controlled substance.
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