FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 1, 2024
SALEM, Ore. – Today, the Governor signed into law HB 4002 A, a bill reversing much of
Oregon’s drug decriminalization experiment in response to a deadly addiction crisis
plaguing major cities, suburban neighborhoods, and rural communities across the state.
The bipartisan proposal cleared the Oregon Senate with overwhelming support exactly
one month ago.
Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend) released the following statement:
“Now that the Governor has given the recriminalization bill her stamp of approval, we can
finally end the chapter on Oregon’s experiment with decriminalizing hard drugs. HB 4002
is not a perfect solution; legislators will undoubtedly have much more work to do in
upcoming sessions. But it sets a standard for how the state should approach the drug
addiction crisis: by empowering law enforcement and our behavioral health systems to
work together to help Oregonians struggling with chronic addiction seek life-saving
treatment.”
A key priority for the Senate Republican Caucus last session was addressing drug
addiction, homelessness, and crime. Recriminalizing possession of small amounts of
hard drugs was at the top of the list. It is widely supported by Oregon voters.