XPost: ca.politics, talk.politics.guns, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
XPost: sac.politics

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday vetoed a bill that would have
allowed major cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco to set up
facilities where people could consume drugs under supervision.

Explaining his reason, the Democratic governor said the unlimited number
of safe injection sites that SB 57 would authorize "could induce a world
of unintended consequences."

Newsom conceded such facilities would be helpful but worried that "if done without a strong plan, they could work against this purpose. ... Worsening
drug consumption challenges in these areas is not a risk we can take."

Proponents wanted to give people who already use drugs a place to inject
them while trained staff stand by to help if they suffer accidental
overdoses. But opponents argued that the move would in effect have
condoned the use of dangerous drugs.

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State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco who authored the
bill, called Newsom’s veto "tragic" and "a huge lost opportunity."

"Sad day for CA’s fight against overdose deaths," Wiener said in a
statement.


San Francisco Mayor London Breed also called Newsom’s veto "disappointing"
but vowed "we aren’t giving up."

"Overdose prevention programs save lives and help connect people to
treatment and services," she tweeted.

WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR YOUTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS TO TACKLE 'OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC'

The veto left Republican leaders in the Legislature in the rare position
of praising Newsom, a Democrat.

"People struggling with addiction need help, not a legal place to shoot
up," said Senate GOP Leader Scott Wilk, whose members had urged a veto in
a letter to Newsom.

"We need to stop enabling criminal acts," added Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, who had sent his own letter. "Instead, we should promote policies that will empower people to safely get off the streets and
reintegrate into our communities."

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AT SOUTHERN BORDER

Tracy McCray, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association,
also praised Newsom for blocking what she said would have been "sanctioned
drug dens ... creating misery and chaos for the residents and businesses
forced to be next to these sites."

SB 57 was one of the most watched and most controversial measures of this legislative session. The proposal came amid a spike in overdose deaths
amid a national opioid crisis.

Newsom had previously said he was open to the idea. But his decision comes
as he faces increased national scrutiny as he is perceived as a possible presidential contender, though he has frequently denied any interest in running.

Newsom ordered his secretary of Health and Human Services to meet with
city and county officials to discuss standards and best practices, and
said he remains open to the concept once they come back to lawmakers with recommendations for how the sites could be run safely.

Nationwide, drug overdose deaths increased 28.5% to more than 100,000
during the 12-month period ending in April 2021 over the same period a
year earlier, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, including about 10,000 Californians.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/californias-newsom-vetoes-bill-would- have-allowed-legal-drug-injection-sites

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