The senate’s judiciary committee just voted seven to one for a bill that would provide legal immunity to those who call medics for someone overdosing on drugs. The bill is designed to encourage folks, who are afraid of getting busted, to call for help instead of abandoning an overdosing person to die. Drug overdoses killed 700 people in Washington in 2006.
The bill, based on a similar law in New Mexico, died the last four legislative sessions (it passed out of committee in 2005 before stalling). But two Republican votes on the committee represent a major shift for the bill’s prospects—and legislators overcoming their moral conflicts with people consuming drugs to look rationally at drug laws.
“I think this is especially promising given that it has bipartisan support,” says Alison Holcomb, drug policy director for the ACLU of Washington, which has been supporting the bill. “That means Republicans … get that this is about saving lives, and saving lives is not a partisan issue.” Only state senator Pam Roach (R-31) voted against the bill. Kudos to senator Adam Kline (D-37), chair of the senate judiciary committee, and senator Rosa Franklin (D-29), the bill’s prime sponsor, for pushing this in a year when legislators are tormented by budget cuts.
Tomorrow the state house’s public safety committee will consider a similar bill.
How ironic, seeing how one of Roach’s sons has been arrested for selling drugs in the past.
She’s probably just miffed she got p0wned by Seattle’s voters, and wants all the DO kids from her neck of the woods to die on our streets instead.
fuck state senator Pam Roach (R-31)! fuck her good!
If Pam was dying from a drug overdose, I wouldn’t call the medics even if it was legal.
OK, I would. Eventually.
@3 – yuck. but roasting over a spit would work.
Hey Dom, have you put in a call to her office to as WTF?
TAKE NOTE
I have had this experience. I do no drugs, and drink little, just my habits.
Several years ago the house next door was empty – one morning i
I was standing on the porch when a younger guy ran to the street half dressed yelling call 911, ” he is dying” – then he ran down the street totally freaked. I called 911 and they wanted details which I did not have, but came.
In the mean I went next door, where they had pried the door open and crashed. A guy on the floor was in a horrible state. 911 medics showed and begin giving me an intense interview, then the cops. It got very personal as they thought I had been involved in the drug stuff. They guy recovered, all cool.
I am big and mean and outspoken. But had I not been so pushy I think they would have arrested me.
This is a good bill, it will save lives, and takes away the gray.
Pam Roach is an certified idiot, let’s take her off the public stage.
Odd thing is, one of Pam Roach’s other sons, Dan, is a good guy. Yeah, he’s a mormon & a GOPer, but at least he’s honest and not a bonafide psycho like his mom. He’s more of an “education” politician than a “law & order” one, like mom pretends to be. (Younger son Stephen’s drug dealing is the 800lb gorilla here.)
Full Disclosure: Dan & I were friends in high school. He’s square, but predictable.