A California bill that legalizes overdose prevention programs, or safe consumption sites, is one step away from becoming law.
Senate Bill 57 is awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature, and on Wednesday, state and local leaders were making a renewed push for the hotly debated law before time runs out.
Newsom has 12 days to sign SB 57 into law, and while it cleared legislative hurdles, the governor’s signature is not guaranteed. Newsom's predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, vetoed a similar bill in 2018.
State Sen. Scott Weiner, Assemblyman Matt Haney, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and other local leaders gathered Wednesday to send a strong message to the governor, making a case that the bill provides for sterile needles and safe places for consumption and ultimately will save lives.
"Drug addiction is a health issue, not a criminal issue," Weiner said.
Schaaf added: "The status quo is filling our prisons and our morgues."
They also contend it will save public money.
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Opponents say the sites enable dangerous and illegal activity on city streets. And they say the measure is proposing addiction maintenance when the focus should be on addiction recovery.
If the bill is signed into law, pilot sites will run for five years, through January 2028, in San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles.
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