Discussing Solutions for Oregon's Drug Crisis

In 2020, Oregon voters passed Measure 110, the Drug Treatment and Recovery Act. The measure, which decriminalized most unlawful possessions of controlled substances, attempted to keep people out of jail in order to prevent barriers for them to get clean, and to expand drug treatment and recovery services.

Last week, Oregon lawmakers called for a repeal of Measure 110, saying the measure is making the opioid crisis worse in Oregon. At the same time, on Sept. 29, Senate President Rob Wagner and House Speaker Dan Rayfield announced the creation of the Joint Interim Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response.

The committee, according to Rep. Jason Kropf (D-OR54), one of the co-chairs of the committee, plans to review steps the state can take to help people in crisis. The committee will act as the “legislature’s hub” for coordinating a public health and safety response to the drug crisis.

Kropf addressed the addiction crisis we’re seeing in Oregon and the things he’s looking at as part of this committee.

“We know that there are folks struggling with addiction and we know we don’t have enough pathways for them to get the help they need,” said Kropf. “We also know that people don’t feel safe in our communities, and so we need to continue to take action to address this crisis.”

The committee will be meeting with a number of stakeholders to determine Oregon’s best options moving forward. “All solutions are on the table as we get ready for the next legislative session and beyond,” Kropf told the Source. The committee will have four meetings between now and the beginning of the legislative session in February.

The committee’s goals are to consider short-term and long-term steps to address and solve the drug crisis in Oregon. “It’s a broader conversation than just Measure 110, but Measure 110 is certainly a part of that conversation,” said Kropf.

The committees first meeting is on Oct. 18 at 1pm in Salem and will focus on addiction treatment and prevention, according to a Oct. 13 press release.

This article appears in Source Weekly October 19, 2023.