{"id":9569,"date":"2023-04-20T12:37:47","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T19:37:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=9569"},"modified":"2023-04-20T12:37:47","modified_gmt":"2023-04-20T19:37:47","slug":"republicans-applaud-deal-for-special-hearing-on-fentanyl-bills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandiegonewsdesk.com\/?p=9569","title":{"rendered":"Republicans Applaud Deal for Special Hearing on Fentanyl Bills"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stalled fentanyl bills to advance after pressure from advocates, law enforcement & Republican legislators.<\/em><\/p>\n

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Republicans celebrated today\u2019s decision to advance a series of bills fighting the fentanyl crisis to a special hearing on the issue<\/a>. Insiders are calling the move a \u2018major reversal\u2019 by Democrats as the Assembly Public Safety Committee Chair, Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), was refusing to act<\/a> on fentanyl bills until later this year.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the week, Republican lawmakers, family members of Californians who lost their lives to fentanyl and law enforcement representatives held a press conference demanding action on the fentanyl epidemic that is killing 500 Californians every month<\/a>. Following an announcement that Assembly Republicans would force a floor vote on a series of bipartisan fentanyl bills, Democrats agreed to move them forward in the committee process.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad my Democratic colleagues finally recognized that a months-long delay in addressing the fentanyl crisis is not acceptable<\/em>,\u201d said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher<\/strong> (Yuba City). \u201cFirst, the fentanyl bills weren\u2019t going to be heard at all. Then we were told a study session would happen this fall. Just last night<\/a>, the plan was sometime over the summer. And now this morning, an announcement is made that a special hearing has been scheduled for next week. We\u2019re making progress, but we will not rest until this poison is out of our communities and the killing spree ends.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Natalie Page<\/strong>, who spoke earlier this week at the State Capitol, is the sister of a 36-year-old father who lost his life to fentanyl. \u201cThe time to act is now and I am happy to hear that there is a renewed sense of urgency at the State Capitol. We must stop enabling and hold dealers accountable for spreading this poison in our communities. This has nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans. And I am hopeful that lawmakers will advance legislation at the hearing next week,<\/em>\u201d said Page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The bills to be heard are:<\/p>\n