At joint committee’s first meeting, Knopp calls Measure 110 a ‘fundamental failure’ that must be fixed in ‘short session’

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Legislature's Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response had its first meeting Wednesday in Salem.

Committee members and the public heard from practitioners, services providers, and researchers about Oregon’s existing public health infrastructure and its role as part of our response to the drug crisis. The next meeting of the committee will focus on the state’s public safety response.

“We heard over and over yesterday: Oregon was struggling to treat addiction before fentanyl changed the game, and now, we have even further to go to keep people safe and healthy. While it’s clear that we have a lot more work to do, I believe we are one step closer to addressing critical issues in Oregon’s addiction response system,” said Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber (D - Beaverton & SW Portland), co-chair of the Joint Committee.

A full recording of the meeting can be found here and the full agenda can be found here.

“Oregonians across the state are providing vital prevention and treatment services, meeting people where they’re at and saving lives. They need more support to maintain and expand this work,” said Representative Jason Kropf (D - Bend), co-chair of the Joint Committee. “The ideas and perspectives we heard yesterday and will hear in our next meeting from public safety officials are critical as we further dig into how to deliver the solutions Oregonians need now.”

Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, told the panel that many Oregonians believe Measure 110 has been a "fundamental failure" that has only fueled the state's fentanyl and overdose crisis. He said it's incumbent on lawmakers to make needed fixes at their "short session" early next year -- not wait for a ballot measure effort a year from now.

The Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety is the Legislature's hub for the coordination of an urgent public health and public safety response to the drug crisis. Through the 2024 session and beyond, this bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators will provide oversight of state programs and funding while seeking short- and long- term solutions to keep Oregonians safe and healthy.

This committee is co-chaired by Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber (D – Beaverton & SW Portland) and Representative Jason Kropf (D – Bend). The full membership of the committee can be found here.