Oregon lawmakers pass bill to recriminalize drug possession

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Legislature has passed a bill that recriminalizes the possession of small amounts of drugs. The Senate approved the measure Friday. It undoes a key part of the state’s first-in-the-nation drug decriminalization law. Governments are struggling to respond to the deadliest overdose crisis in U.S. history. The drug decriminalization law was originally championed as treating addiction as a public health issue. But Oregon has seen one of the nation’s largest spikes in overdose deaths. The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Tina Kotek. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports she has said she is open to signing a bill that would roll back decriminalization.