We introduced you all to Senate Bill 3 back in March and there have been several discussions in Columbus since then. But it’s looking like talks about this bill will have to continue into 2020.
Senate Bill 3 hopes to reform how drug offenders are sentenced in Ohio. The bipartisan bill would lessen the penalty for certain drug-possession felonies to misdemeanors. It would also tighten up on trafficking charges. The two Ohio senators who introduced the bill believe more treatment is the key. It’s similar to Senate Bill 1 that Ohio voters undoubtedly voted down last year. The Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association is an opponent of the bill. The Allen County prosecutor says places for treatment have long been established in many counties throughout Ohio.
"Treatment options are already out there," Juergen Waldick said. "We have all kinds of treatment options locally. We have treatment options, not just in Allen County, but around the state. There are drug courts, there are facilities. And particularly in Allen County, we have a whole host of available resources to treat drug-addicted individuals."
Waldick said there are often other people involved in drug addiction cases that are often forgotten.
"We forget about the victims," said Waldick. "The people that are drug-addicted, while they may need help, they are also committing crimes. They’re breaking into houses, they’re stealing things. And those are the kind of people that are forgotten, the victims of these kinds of offenses."
In 2019, there have been 10 meetings about Senate Bill 3 in the judiciary committee. It still has yet to be voted on, let alone introduced to the entire Ohio Senate. The Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association and Chief Justice Maureen O' Connor have spoken out against this bill. We will continue to follow the bill’s progress into the new year.
