Just Say No to Measure 110

It’s well past time to admit the obvious: Measure 110, which decriminalized extremely dangerous drugs, has been a disaster.

Presented to voters as the “Drug Addiction and Recovery Act,” this ill-conceived measure is actively destroying the quality of life for all Oregonians. It has enabled people to destroy themselves with deadly and dangerous drugs. Let’s face the facts—Oregonians were sold a bill of goods when Measure 110 was put before them in the November 2020 general election.

Treatment programs that were promised three years ago still don’t exist. Multnomah County, for example, has huge amounts of money intended for services to addicts, but no clue or direction on how to spend it and no clear vision or sense of urgency. The best idea they’ve come up with so far involved providing drug paraphernalia to users, until the press caught wind and public outrage brought that program to a grinding halt.

Clackamas County decided to take the lead on pushing back against Measure 110 and other counties are following suit.

I’m proud to say that in June, our board of county commissioners voted to ask voters if they wanted to repeal Measure 110 in the May 2024 primary election. We’ve urging other counties to do the same in the hopes that the Legislature will take action to modify the measure.

So far, twelve counties including Marion, Polk and Douglas counties have gotten on board in some form and so has the city of Medford. Other municipalities throughout the state are expected to start doing the same.

The legislature did not take the time to fix Measure 110’s issues during its regular 2023 session, and now ballot measures are being introduced to fix the mess under Measure 110. One group preparing ballot measures the Coalition to Fix and Amend Measure 110. It is preparing a series of ballot measures for voters in the November 2024 general election. One measure would make minor drug possession a misdemeanor once again. Others would recriminalize fentanyl, meth, and heroin, give offenders a choice between mandatory treatment or jail, and make it illegal to use drugs in public statewide.

Measure 110 has had terrible consequences for our residents, and as a commission, we are committed to repealing it as quickly as possible.

It’s time to end this failed experiment. And if the Legislature won’t do it, we the people will do it ourselves.

Enough is enough.