'It is unacceptable'; Washington legalizes hard drugs by default

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Possession of hard drugs in Washington, like fentanyl and meth, will become legal by default this summer.

Sunday night, state lawmakers could not come to an agreement to replace Washington’s felony drug possession law, which was struck down by the State Supreme Court.

With no new compromise measure in sight, local communities are now scrambling to come up with their own rules for enforcement.

"Having cities enact this is not ideal because, let’s say, one city doesn’t pass it then. So what, all the drug users are going to go to that city? That’s going to negatively impact that community. We don’t want that either," said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin.

She signed a letter requesting legislatures to pass a harsher drug law. Lawmakers instead could not agree on anything.

As it stands now, there are no laws on the books come this summer.

"It is unacceptable to me. It is unacceptable to the State of Washington to decriminalize drugs," said Gov. Jay Inslee following the end of the legislative session.

Mayors say a unified law would have been the best option.

"The problem you’ll have with [this,] is you’re going to have this hodgepodge of ordinances across the state," said Brett Gailey.

Gailey is the Mayor of Lake Stevens. He says his city already has a local law ready.

 "There needs to be a law. I agree," said Mike Kersey.

Kersey is the President of Courage to Change Recovery Services.

He helps people escape the struggle of addiction. It’s a fight he says he battled ever since he was young. More than 20 years ago, Kersey says he was able to get clean with a little tough love.

"Mine was a threat to go to prison," he said.

Overdoses continue to be a rising causes of deaths throughout Western Washington.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Fentanyl, meth account for half of about 1,000 drug-related deaths in King County in 2022

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Kersey says change is needed because the current plan is not working.

"It’s a death sentence otherwise out here. It’s a death sentence," he said.

Governor Inslee says he expects lawmakers to return to a special session to pass a new drug possession policy, but the final House vote on the failed bill this weekend showed a deep divide on the issue.