Measure 110 was unmoored from reality. It was a fix and not a fix.

It got big things right. People struggling with substance abuse should get treatment, not just be thrown in jail. And Oregon needed more treatment options.

But it got big things wrong. It was foolish to expect handing out tickets without consequences for drug possession would impel substance abusers into treatment.

Now in the 2024 legislative session comes the reckoning. The Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association, the Oregon District Attorneys Association, the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police and the League of Oregon Cities have a proposal for changes.

Steve Gunnels, the Deschutes County district attorney, is going to present the ideas to Deschutes County commissioners next week. Here are some highlights:

Possession of minor amounts of illegal drugs would be reclassified from a violation to a misdemeanor to compel people to enter treatment.

The law would be clarified so that when there is substantial evidence that a person intends to deliver drugs, such as drugs, cash and lists of sales, people can be charged more like dealers.

The law would be changed so that it is clear that judges could make the decision to hold dealers in jail before trial.

The state will be urged to provide the money so county probation departments can supervise misdemeanor theft and property crimes when defendants are dealing with substance abuse. Some studies show that most property crimes are committed by people who are struggling with addiction and stealing to support their habit.

The Legislature will be encouraged to adequately financially support specialty courts, such as the Deschutes County drug court. The court helped people turn their lives around but for various reasons was compelled to graduate its final participant.

There are more. You can read about it here: tinyurl.com/M110changes.

Some legislators are aiming for an outright repeal of Measure 110. This package of changes seems a more thoughtful approach.