DENVER–Following the passage of
SB23-109 on third reading in the Colorado State Senate, Advance Colorado’s President, Michael Fields, released the following statement:
“In the midst of an overdose and substance use crisis, Coloradans are asking for solutions. We commend the sponsors of SB23-109 for taking the first step towards giving our legal system the ability to hold drug dealers accountable for the deaths they cause. Over a thousand Coloradans died last year because somebody wanted to make a quick buck. We hope that the House follows suit in passing this bill so we can finally hold those individuals accountable.”SB23-109, brought forward by the bipartisan team of Senators Byron Pelton (R-Sterling) and Kyle Mullica (D-Thornton), makes it a level 1 drug felony if an individual sells a controlled substance to an individual that, when used by the buyer, leads to their death. This includes drugs such as methamphetamine, heroin, and others.
In 2022,
Colorado saw a record-high 1,881 overdose deaths, a 93% increase from 974 in 2018.
The bill passed the Senate this morning with 19 yes votes and 16 no votes.
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