DENVER–Despite Colorado reckoning with a record-high 1,881 overdose deaths in 2021, liberals on the Colorado House of Representatives’ House Finance Committee sided with drug dealers in torpedoing Senate Bill 23-109 tonight, a bipartisan bill that would have made 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.

“We have legislators in control of the General Assembly that put criminals over victims,” said Michael Fields, President of Advance Colorado Institute. “This was a bold, bipartisan bill that would have given law enforcement the ability to attack lethal drugs at their source and discourage dealers from continuing to kill more Coloradans. The House Judiciary Committee should be ashamed.”

The bill died on a 5 to 8 vote.

Here was the final vote on the bill in the House Judiciary Committee:

Representative Mike Weissman (D): NO
Representative Jennifer Bacon (D): NO
Representative Ryan Armagost (R): YES
Representative Judy Amabile (Subbing for Lindsey Daugherty) (D): NO
Representative Elisabeth Epps (D): NO
Representative Gabe Evans (R): YES
Representative Lorena Garcia (D): NO
Representative Stephanie Luck (R): YES
Representative Bob Marshall (D): NO
Representative Said Sharbini (D): NO
Representative Marc Snyder (D): YES
Representative Matt Soper (R): YES
Representative Steven Woodrow (D): NO

Senate Bill 23-109 fielded bipartisan sponsorship in both chambers, including Senators Byron Pelton and Kyle Mullica, alongside Representatives Mike Lynch (R) and Marc Snyder (D). It passed the State Senate by a vote of 19 to 16.