Rapid Reaction
#Seattle is joining a growing list of local jurisdictions in WA trying to come up with it’s own drug laws after the state legislature FAILED to fix the one expiring this summer. Thursday morning, #Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison (@_Ann_Davison_)introduced legislation that would ban open air drug use(meth, fentanyl, etc) in public places, making it a misdemeanor.
Councilmembers Sara Nelson (@CMSaraNelson) and Alex Pedersen sponsored the bill. Right after the press conference, I went straight to one of the most notorious drug dens in the city(#Chinatown-ID) to get reaction. As you can imagine, it was not well received among the drug users and addicts. Lots of indifference. NO FEAR of police. But if the bill passes, it’s at least something on the books and it could eventually save lives. That’s the priority.
No Assurances it Passes
Will the rest of the #Seattle Council (@seattlecouncil) get behind this bill? Here’s how Nelson and Davison responded after I asked if there would be any support or pushback. Officials say more than half of King County overdoses in 2022 happened in Seattle, predominantly in the downtown core.