Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans between 18 and 45 years of age, poisoning communities and destroying families in a nationwide scourge of monstrous proportions.
Our state isn’t immune. Sadly, more Idahoans now die of fentanyl overdoses than car accidents, according to testimony provided in a recent state legislative committee hearing. And much of the fentanyl flowing into Idaho comes through Mexican drug cartels and other large-scale criminal organizations that bring other types of crime into our communities.
House Bill 406 – which is sponsored by Rep. Ted Hill (R-Eagle) and Sen. Todd Lakey (R-Nampa) – directly addresses this issue.
By adding fentanyl to the mandatory minimum sentencing law for drug traffickers and creating the crime of drug-induced homicide, House Bill 406 provides law enforcement with the tools they need to hold fentanyl traffickers accountable for the devastation they’re causing.
Here’s what you can do to help: Send a message asking members of the Idaho House Judiciary and Rules Committee to support this bill when it is considered tomorrow morning.
Given that the committee vote margin is expected to be extremely close, it’s crucial that YOU make your voice heard. Let’s send a tough message that fentanyl drug trafficking will no longer be tolerated in our state!
P.S. The reforms proposed in House Bill 406 are widely popular—in fact, more than 78% of likely Idaho voters believe fentanyl drug dealers should face mandatory minimum prison sentencing, according to statewide polling released by Idaho Family Policy Center last month.
