March 27, 2023 Group Watch: Bill to Impose Mandatory Prison for Fentanyl Clears First Hurdle
A bill to impose mandatory prison time for possessing one gram or more of pure fentanyl cleared its first hurdle in the legislature. The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill by Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, which takes aim at the drug that caused overdose deaths on almost a daily basis in Jefferson County in 2021 and is connected to about 70,000 deaths a year in the United States. Simpson’s message is clear and straightforward: If you are trafficking fentanyl in Alabama, we are coming after you, and there is going to be a steep price to pay in the form of serious prison time. The measure passed the full House on Thursday.
