California lawmakers reject bill punishing fentanyl dealers
- It sought to charge dealers if a customer died of fentanyl-laced drugs
- Author of the bill says it's one tool to tackle the fentanyl crisis
- Critics of the bill say CA already struggles with over incarceration
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(NewsNation) — A bipartisan bill aimed at tackling the fentanyl crisis has failed to pass in California.
The proposed legislation would charge drug dealers with murder if the fentanyl-laced drugs they sold resulted in someone’s death. The author of the bill Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Calif.), joined “NewsNation Prime” to explain the motivation behind the legislation.
“This is one tool. And it simply says that if you sell fentanyl and you’re convicted, if you sell fentanyl again and someone dies, then that information can be used as evidence in a subsequent trial,” Umberg said. “In other words, you could be charged with and potentially convicted of second degree murder. That’s the purpose.”
Watch the full interview with Tom Umberg in the player above.
