Denver Metro Chamber Of Commerce Supports Fentanyl Bill And Seeks To Address Possession

Denver CO

03 April, 2022

9:23 PM

Description

Press release from Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce: March 31, 2022 House Bill 1326 Colorado Public Radio House Bill 1326, Fentanyl Accountability And Prevention, changes criminal penalties for fentanyl possession and possession with intent to distribute. It requires that, for certain offenses, the court order placement in a residential addiction treatment facility; expands the list of eligible entities that can receive Narcan and fentanyl testing strips to include libraries, colleges, community centers and more; charges the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to develop and implement a statewide fentanyl prevention and education campaign; and expands the list of entities eligible for harm reduction grants. House Bill 1263 The prevalence of fentanyl in every corner of our state has led to safety concerns that make Colorado a less desirable destination when recruiting businesses, undermines the value of infrastructure investments taxpayers have supported on the promise these improvements will lead to increased economic growth, and prevents metropolitan communities from confidently restoring downtown business activity. Collective Bargaining Draft Continues to Face Opposition With only about a month left in the 2022 legislative session, there are many high priority bills we are still waiting to see. Though these items have not been introduced, bill drafts are circulating on some of our top issues, giving us insight into what they might include. So far, the collective bargaining drafts have received opposition from local governments, counties, public education, higher education and others. Public sector collective bargaining continues to face opposition, in part, due to the large financial impact it would have on the state and local communities. The 2020 bill was predicted to cost $6 million in the 2021-22 budget, but upon further inspection it ended up being closer to $8 million. Community colleges are saying that this year's legislation would come at an even higher cost, with predictions as high as $10 million. The draft does not address the cost of collective bargaining. read the op-ed This press release was produced by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author's own.