California advances fentanyl bills on prevention, increased penalties

By TRÂN NGUYỄN and ADAM BEAM
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers voted to advance more than a dozen fentanyl bills this past week. Those are among several hundred bills lawmakers voted on ahead of a deadline for a bill to get out of its original house. The majority of the fentanyl bills focused on education, prevention and treatment. Lawmakers have been divided on how to best address the crisis. Progressive Democrats want to invest in prevention and treatment, but Republicans and some moderate Democrats favor harsher prison sentences for dealers. Other bills that passed this week include one that would require human drivers in self-driving trucks that weigh more than 10,000 pounds and one that would require school districts to tell students that they are required to be vaccinated against HVP.