West
'Endless revolving door': Blue state will recriminalize drugs, but one key official is looking for a loophole
Less than three months before Oregon is set to recriminalize drug possession, a handful of Portland-area leaders are drafting a plan in closed-door meetings that critics argue would largely maintain the status quo in the state’s most populous county.
“I think the assumption by most people was this was actually going to lead to people actually getting access to treatment as an alternative to arrest, but if they didn’t want treatment, they were going to be arrested,” Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards told KOIN 6 News.
Instead, the proposal, which has not yet been shared publicly, includes “an endless revolving door” and little direct access to treatment, Brim-Edwards said.
A man smokes meth on the sidewalk in Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 10, 2024. The city has struggled with open-air drug use and dealing in the wake of Measure 110, which decriminalized drug possession. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)
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Oregonians voted to decriminalize possession of all drugs in 2020 and redirected tens of millions in marijuana tax revenue to fund addiction services. People caught with user amounts of substances like meth and fentanyl could only be given a $100 ticket, which could be waived if they called the treatment hotline listed on the back. Data showed the vast majority of individuals ticketed did not call the hotline or pay the fine.
Open-air drug use and overdose deaths soon skyrocketed — although researchers argue there’s no clear connection between decriminalization and overdoses — and numerous polls showed Oregon voters regretted the move and wanted criminal penalties reinstated.
Faced with the overwhelming backlash, lawmakers passed House Bill 4002 in March, creating a new misdemeanor drug possession charge and giving those caught with small amounts of substances like meth and fentanyl a choice: undergo treatment or go to jail for up to six months.
Lawmakers voted to recriminalize drug possession earlier this year, following a dramatic shift in voter attitudes. Numerous surveys showed Oregonians supported re-criminalizing hard drugs and making treatment mandatory, not voluntary, in order to avoid jail time. (Ramiro Vargas/Fox News Digital)
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But the bill leaves it to local governments to decide how to implement the law before it takes effect Sept. 1.
In Multnomah County, where Portland is located, County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson is leading that effort, The Oregonian reported.
People caught with drugs would only need to check in at a drop-off center to avoid arrest under the proposal. They would not be required to go through a screening or treatment program, and there would be no limit to how often someone could choose deflection over arrest, according to the paper.
“The reality is that we know people have a better chance of entering recovery the more often they’re introduced to the recovery system and that jail is not the appropriate way to treat individuals,” Alicia Temple, a policy advisor to the chair, told the paper.
Pederson is working on the plan with local leaders, including progressive Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, who recently lost his re-election bid to a more moderate challenger. The Portland police chief, county sheriff, a judge, treatment providers, a defense lawyer, and a representative of Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office are also involved, according to local reports.
A Portland police officer holds a container of suspected fentanyl he found inside a homeless man’s tent. (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)
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At least two county commissioners have criticized the proposal and said they’ve been left in the dark during its development. District attorney-elect Nathan Vasquez shared a similar sentiment, telling KGW he hasn’t been invited to the table, and sees major flaws with the plan.
“It’s a return to that failed formula,” Vasquez said. “And in some cases, you could even say maybe it’s worse. I mean, you’re looking at a situation where, you know, if it’s true that they’re going to do unlimited deflections, what message does that send?”
“This is just shuffling them around,” Joe Bazeghi, director of engagement at a privately run medical and behavioral health center, told The Oregonian. “We’re just kind of going back to maybe a slightly less harmful version of what we’ve been doing all along.”
Portland’s neighboring counties appear to have heavier-handed plans for enforcement. Clackamas and Washington county DAs told local media they expect people to comply with treatment requirements and plan to limit the number of times people can opt for deflection.
“It’s our way as a system to say, you know, we really mean it, we really want you to get help and get treatment,” Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth told The Oregonian.
Multnomah County officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Turner was selected by the Detroit Tigers
New Mexico State pitcher Jack Turner has been taken in the 10th round of the 2026 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers.
Turner becomes the 14th Aggie player selected in the MLB Draft since 2015 and the eighth selected in the first 10 rounds. The most recent NM State players selected in the MLB Draft prior to Turner were outfielders Keith Jones II, a 10th-round pick by the Texas Rangers, and Titus Dumitru, a 16th-round pick by the Atlanta Braves, both in 2024.
Turner spent the 2025 and 2026 seasons with the Aggies after arriving from Suffolk County Community College (New York), where he was a 2024 NJCAA Division III First Team All-American. He made 24 pitching appearances, 17 being starts, and recorded a 6.15 ERA over those two years. Turner struck out 100 batters in 112.2 innings pitched across 2025 and 2026 and made one save in 2026.
He ended his NM State run on a high note by not allowing a run in the Aggies’ penultimate game of 2026 against Florida International on May 15. Turner struck out five batters that day and allowed only three hits in six innings to help NM State win 6-5.
Turner played for the Trenton Thunder and the State College Spikes, collegiate summer league baseball teams playing in the MLB Draft League, after leaving the Aggies. He recorded a 4.09 ERA with the Thunder and a 5.14 ERA with the Spikes.
Turner made eight pitching appearances for Trenton and struck out 17 batters, allowed only five earned runs and walked eight batters in 11 innings pitched. He started two games for State College, striking out five batters, allowing four earned runs and registering a 1.114 WHIP in seven innings pitched.
Turner received recognition after his first start for the Spikes on June 3 after pitching a sinker and a sweeping curve that each had over a foot of horizontal movement.
Turner becomes the seventh NM State player to be selected by Detroit in the MLB Draft, the first being former NM State AD Mario Moccia in the 44th round of the 1989 draft. The most recent was pitcher Ryan Beck in the 30th round of the 2013 draft.
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The Olive Butte Fire is one of several blazes burning in Eastern Oregon, as of Sunday morning.
SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — The Babylon Fire, currently the largest wildfire in the United States, has grown to 106,324 acres, according to Utah Fire Info. The blaze is now 47% contained.
The wildfire is burning about 25 miles southwest of Monticello. Officials said five structures have been lost and 1,467 personnel are assigned.
Current operations
Firefighters are conducting an aggressive attack along the active fire edge, officials said, with a “specialized helitack crew” entering the Dark Canyon to secure the western edge into the bluffs. Crews in Trail Canyon continue to reinforce the fire line.
Fire personnel have reportedly secured containment lines off Steamboat Point and Dry Mesa.
A spot fire remains active on the north-facing slope of Jackson Ridge, officials said. Firefighters continue to protect a critical communication site on Abajo Peak.
Firefighters are using grass and brush on the south slope to keep the fire in heavy timber. Intense fire activity caused fire crews to pull back from Indian Creek, officials said. Complete containment from the southern line back to South Cottonwood is expected by the end of Sunday’s shift.
Firefighters assigned to the structure protection group on the Babylon Fire string hoses connected to a portable water tank along a dozer line west of Monticello, Utah, on July 11, 2026. (Courtesy: Geoff Liesik/U.S. Wildland Fire Service)
Upcoming weather, fire behavior
A critical shift is happening as monsoonal moisture moves in from the south. This will heighten the chance for critical fire weather conditions.
Temperatures will be slightly cooler and morning winds will be breezy, officials said, with some gusting along ridge tops. The main concern is forecasted scattered thunderstorms after noon, with dry storms bringing the potential for lightning and erratic, severe outflow winds.
See a current map of the Babylon Fire, as well as a smoke outlook, below.
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Babylon Fire Smoke Outlook, July 12, 2026. (Courtesy: Utah Fire Info)
Evacuations, closures
There are 23 evacuation zones in “SET” status at this time. This includes all zones west of Highway 191, south of State Route 211, and north of State Route 95.
All National Forest lands, roads, and trails within the Monticello Ranger District of the Manti–La Sal National Forest are closed. The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park is also closed to ensure public safety and aid firefighting operations.
All BLM-managed public lands west of Harts Draw Road and north through the Indian Creek Corridor to Indian Creek Falls are temporarily closed. This closure reportedly includes key recreation and backcountry areas like Shay Mesa, Beef Basin, Dark Canyon, and the Sweet Alice Wilderness Study Area.
“Anyone not directly involved in firefighting operations must stay out of all closure areas and avoid public lands within the boundary formed by State Route 211 to the north, U.S. Route 191 to the east, and State Route 95 to the south,” fire officials said. “These restrictions are in place to protect the public and allow firefighters to operate safely and effectively.”
Evacuation and closure information can be found on the Babylon Fire Inciweb page here.
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