"Oregon Reverses Drug Decriminalization Amid Rising Overdose Deaths"

Oregon lawmakers are pushing through House Bill 4002, which would recriminalize drugs decriminalized by Measure 110 in 2020, despite opposition from criminal justice reformers. The bill, which targets possession of hard drugs and includes jail sentences, is seen as a win for Republicans and well-heeled critics, but has drawn criticism for potentially disproportionately impacting people of color. Researchers argue that Oregon's drug problem is more related to the emergence of fentanyl than Measure 110, and caution that gutting the measure is unlikely to reverse the upward trajectory of overdose deaths.