Democratic lawmakers said Wednesday they have reached a tentative deal to create a new type of misdemeanor that would give defendants no jail time for drug possession and another chance to enter treatment programs.
The charge, hammered out near the mid-point of the 35-day session, will be folded into House Bill 4002, the vehicle lawmakers are using this session to address the fentanyl-fueled drug overdose and addiction crisis. Its purpose would be to give people found with small quantities of drugs ample chances to enter treatment and recovery rather than jail.
“You’re going to see, when all this stuff settles, that we have lived up to the promise that we said we were going to do at the very beginning, which is we are going to have a robust housing package,” Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber, D-Beaverton, said in an interview with the Capital Chronicle. “And we are going to put a robust package together to try to solve the addiction crisis, and you’re going to see that those two packages are working, aligned and robust.”
The unclassified misdemeanor would carry potential jail time of up to 30 days for probation violations or up to 180 days when a defendant’s probation is revoked. But they could get an early release from jail if they entered inpatient or outpatient treatment.
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Suspects caught with illegal drugs for their own use would be offered a chance to enter a “deflection” program, to avoid jail and a record, and those charged with drug possession would also be offered a chance to enter a diversion program to get treated and have their case expunged. Drug dealers convicted of delivering a controlled substance within 30 feet of a park would face a higher sentence.
The proposal would give counties the option to build their own deflection programs instead of making them mandatory statewide. That flexibility would help garner community support, said Leiber, also co-chair of the joint addiction committee that’s behind HB 4002.
The misdemeanor charge would become effective Sept. 1, giving counties time to set up their programs and to educate the public.
The bill still includes other measures to combat addiction, including expanding treatment options and the time for welfare holds from 48 hours to 72 hours because fentanyl stays in a person’s system for longer than other drugs.
In its original version, HB 4002 called for a class C misdemeanor, which carries up to 30 days in jail. Republicans and addiction treatment advocates had widely criticized that for different reasons.
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Republican lawmakers said it didn’t go far enough and called for a class A misdemeanor, which carries up to a year in jail. A coalition of Oregon cities and law enforcement groups also raised concerns about the potential ineffectiveness of deflection programs.
Advocates for treatment have said the original low-level misdemeanor would be unfair to users because it would recriminalize possession. Democratic lawmakers said they worked to address those concerns by limiting the jail time. The new misdemeanor would have no fines or court fees, another key difference from others.
Besides creating the misdemeanor, the proposal would put money into behavioral health workforce programs, recovery housing to keep people off the streets and residential programs and facilities. Counties would also be eligible for funding to start deflection programs. More than a dozen counties have signaled a desire to do so.
“We as a state are going to partner with those communities to help provide funding and training and support and set up these programs,” said Rep. Jason Kropf, D-Bend and co-chair of the joint addiction committee.
Lawmakers have yet to figure out how much the proposal would cost.
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Reaction is mixed among advocates, Republicans
As details trickled out Wednesday, reaction varied.
Recovery advocates expressed disappointment and warned that it would reverse progress that followed Measure 110, the voter-backed law that decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs and put a share of cannabis revenue toward addiction services and programs. Advocates warned the changes would disproportionately harm communities of color.
“Time and time again, the lived experiences of people who would be most harmed by criminalization was ignored,” Oregonians for Safety and Recovery, a coalition that includes the ACLU of Oregon, Drug Policy Alliance and Health Justice Recovery Alliance, said in a statement. “Time and time again, the evidence that recriminalization of addiction is a failure has been ignored.”
Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, said he’s not seen the proposal yet. Mannix, a committee member, is sponsoring an alternative proposal that would create a misdemeanor with requirements for care and treatment, customized based on their needs. Jail would be possible, but only to encourage accountability and treatment, he said.
“My Democratic colleagues are trying really hard to avoid using the word ‘incarceration,’” Mannix said. “I would rather use the word ‘accountability.’”
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He said he hopes flexibility in the bill allows counties to create innovative programs.
UPDATED at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024 with reactions from Rep. Kevin Mannix and recovery advocates.
Kam Wah Chung and Company was a home, a general store, a community center and a medical clinic, where co-owner Ing Hay served as a beloved doctor to residents across the region.
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Courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society / OPB
Listen to audio from OPB journalists
In Eastern Oregon’s John Day, a 160-year-old building holds one of the biggest collections of traditional Chinese medicine in the world. Kam Wah Chung and Company, once part of a thriving Chinatown, was owned and operated by Lung On and Ing Hay for over half a century. It was a home, a general store, a community center and a medical clinic where Ing Hay served as a beloved doctor to residents across the region. His practice included herbal remedies, noninvasive treatments, essential women’s healthcare and more.
Archaeologists and historians are continuing to deepen our understanding of the legacy of Kam Wah Chung and traditional Chinese medicine in Eastern Oregon. We join them to learn more about Ing Hay’s important contributions to rural communities in John Day and beyond, as part of our special series in collaboration with OPB’s “Oregon Experience,” the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology and Jefferson Public Radio about unearthing Oregon history.
Listen to all episodes of “The Evergreen” podcast here.
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A shelter-in-place order has been lifted and a suspect is in custody following a shooting and domestic disturbance investigation in Sandy on Sunday, police said.
Around 8:30 p.m., the Sandy Police Department made the announcement on social media that the suspect was in custody with “no ongoing threat to the community.”
This comes after the suspect had been “confined to residence” one hour earlier.
Just after 5 p.m., an initial social media post by Sandy police said that officers and other agencies were on the scene near 39500 Evans Street due to a “domestic disturbance and reported shooting.”
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The shelter-in-place order remained in effect for hours and people were asked to avoid the area.
KOIN 6 News crews saw several ambulances lined up on the street near the site and armored vehicles entering the scene.
We will update this article as we find out more details.
Video shows retirement party for Oregon Fish & Wildlife Conservation K-9
Oregon’s first Fish & Wildlife Conservation K-9, Buck, was deployed 184 times across the state before his retirement.
Oregonians can fish, clam and crab for free during Oregon’s annual Free Fishing Weekend in June.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said it will hold another free fishing weekend June 6-7, offering all Oregonians and nonresidents the chance to fish for free across the state for two days.
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No fishing or shellfish licenses or tags, endorsements or validations are required on these days. Oregon State Parks will also offer free parking at state parks on June 6.
While fishing may be free, ODFW said that all other fishing regulations apply. That includes single rod limitations, bag limits, size restrictions and closures.
Fishing regulations are available online and MyODFW.com for any in-season regulation updates.
Here’s what to know about Oregon June 2026 free fishing weekend.
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Will Oregon lakes be stocked for 2026 free fishing weekend?
ODFW will be stocking many of Oregon’s lakes and ponds with rainbow trout for free fishing weekend.
People are encouraged to visit the recreation report at ODFW’s website to find the best fishing spots, and to check out the trout stocking schedule for stocking locations.
ODFW said that drought conditions will make a difference this year and some smaller lakes and ponds might be warmer than usual. The agency suggested fishing earlier in the day or fishing for warm water fish like bass, bluegill and crappie.
How to go crabbing and clamming during Oregon’s June 2026 free fishing weekend
For Oregonians who have never tried crabbing or clamming, free fishing weekend can be a good opportunity to learn.
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ODFW provides information on how to get started crabbing on its website. It includes tips and tricks on how to crab, where to crab, how to measure a crab and how to tell if it is male or female.
People can also visit the website for information on how to get started clamming, including how to dig for clams, where to dig for clams and what species to look for.
As of May 26, crabbing is open coastwide. Razor clamming is only allowed from the Washington border to Cape Blanco. It is currently prohibited from Cape Blanco to the California border.
The agency warns that closures can happen at any time, especially closures related to shellfish biotoxins, or toxins carried by shellfish that can cause serious illness.
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For updated recreational shellfish biotoxin closures, visit the ODA website or call the shellfish biotoxin hotline at 1-800-448-2474.
To get updated harvesting statuses, people can visit the Oregon Department of Agriculture website.
To check for additional closures during free fishing weekend, people can visit myodfw.com.
What are some events happening during fishing weekend?
ODFW and volunteers will be hosting free events around Oregon on June 6. These events will offer equipment and hands-on instruction for beginners learning how to fish.
Some of the scheduled events include:
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Twin Ponds in Ukiah from 9 a.m. to noon on June 6
Olalla Reservoir in Toledo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6
Silverton Marine Park in Silverton from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6
Cleawox Lake in Florence from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6
Henry Hagg Lake in Gaston from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6
Alton Baker Park in Eugene will hold a youth-only event for anglers 17 and younger from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 6
Small Fry Lake in Estacada from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 6.
Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval is a lifelong Oregonian who covers trending news, entertainment, food and outdoors. She can be reached at GSandoval@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.
