Oregon Lawmakers Set to Vote on $211 Million Measure 110 Rollback

A bill to roll back Oregon's drug decriminalization law, Measure 110, is expected to pass the committee and has bipartisan support in the Democrat-controlled House and Senate. The bill, with a $211 million price tag, includes funding for specialty courts, addiction and mental health programs, and medication for opioid addiction in jails. It proposes making minor drug possession a misdemeanor, allowing local governments and law enforcement to opt into deflection programs for substance abuse treatment. However, the bill faces opposition from public defenders and advocacy groups, who argue it would deepen racial disparities in the criminal justice system and harm those coping with drug addiction.