'A victory for law and order'
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 11 months AGO
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | January 30, 2024 1:05 AM
BOISE — A bill passed by the Idaho House of Representatives on Monday would add fentanyl trafficking to Idaho’s established mandatory minimum sentencing laws.
It is now headed for the Idaho Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee.
"The scourge of fentanyl in our state must be addressed," said District 4 Rep. Joe Alfieri, who voted for House Bill 406 and co-sponsored the legislation.
"While it will not, in and of itself, solve the problem, the bill is another tool in the arsenal to be used by law enforcement to address the issue," Alfieri wrote in an email to The Press. "We’ve heard from our sheriff, other law enforcement officials and especially the community that they want mandatory minimums for fentanyl, and we’ve delivered. "
This bill was introduced by District 14 Rep. Edward H. “Ted” Hill and District 11 Rep. Chris Allgood. It passed by a vote of 55-13-2 on the floor.
Several members of the House who represent Kootenai County legislative districts voted against the bill, including Vito Barbieri, Ron Mendive, Elaine Price and Tony Wisniewski. None of the four responded Monday afternoon to an email request to comment on their voting decision.
Under Idaho Code, mandatory minimum sentencing already includes other dangerous drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin.
District 3 Rep. Jordan Redman, a local legislator who voted in favor, said HB406 wasn't perfect, but dealing with the fentanyl crisis is a key issue before legislators.
"At this point, it was the best we have in front of us," he said.
The bill also has the support of Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris.
“A victory for law and order in Idaho and Kootenai County," Norris said. "I commend the Idaho House for voting to add fentanyl to a mandatory minimum statute."
He said the vast majority of fentanyl in Kootenai County can be traced from the southern border and the Tri-Cities area in Washington and is one of the biggest problems facing the community and law enforcement.
"I have been rallying legislators to support and pass this bill. I am hopeful this bill will pass the Senate and the governor will sign it into law," Norris said.
In 2022, Idaho experienced 270 deaths related to opioid overdoses, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. About half of those were attributed to fentanyl.
Redman
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