Home>Articles>Senator Wiener, Assemblyman Haney Call on Gov. Newsom to Sign Open Drug Den Sites Legislation

Hard drugs. (Photo: Leszek Czerwonka, Shutterstock)

Senator Wiener, Assemblyman Haney Call on Gov. Newsom to Sign Open Drug Den Sites Legislation

Ironically, Democrats refer to the bill as the ‘overdose prevention program’

By Katy Grimes, August 9, 2022 12:00 pm

Proposing to allow open drug dens in two of California’s most crime-laden, homeless and vagrant-filled cities is the equivalent of taking a recovering alcoholic to an open bar at a large wedding.

Senate Bill 57, passed by both houses of the California Legislature along party lines, allows for the open operation of drug dens in Los Angeles and San Francisco Counties. Ironically, Democrats refer to the bill as the “overdose prevention program.”

SB 57 “Provides a hygienic space supervised by trained staff… where people can consume controlled substances; provide sterile consumption supplies and collect used equipment; and provide secure hypodermic needle and syringe disposal services.”

Notably, even though the bill allows “monitoring participants for potential overdose, and provide treatment as necessary to prevent fatal overdose,” there is no acknowledgment in the bill of the deadly and rampant Fentanyl crisis.  “Fentanyl is devastating San Francisco,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported. There is a nationwide spike in mass-overdoses, teen deaths due to fentanyl-laced drugs, the DEA reports. “At DEA labs, authorities say, two out of every five pills found contain fentanyl that have a deadly amount in them,” ABC7 Chicago reported.

Will these open drug dens in LA and San Francisco be immune to fentanyl-laced drugs?

Notably, many Democrat lawmakers did not vote “No” on SB 57 however, they just didn’t vote on it at all indicating their unwillingness to be identified as supportive of this dangerous travesty (Senators Archuleta, Caballero, Hertzberg, Newman, Portantino, Rubio, Stern, Umberg, Assembly members Arambula, Calderon, Cervantes, Cunningham (R), Gabriel, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, McCarty, Muratsuchi).

Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the bill’s author, announced a press conference with Mayor Libby Schaaf of Oakland, Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), Supervisor Matt Dorsey to call on Governor Gavin Newsom to sign SB 57. “SB 57 legalizes safe consumption sites in San Francisco, the City and County of Los Angeles, and Oakland,” Wiener says.

Conversely, Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) and all members of the Senate Republican Caucus recently called on Gov. Newsom to veto Senate Bill 57.

“Instead of focusing on a strategy to help people get their lives back, get off drugs and into treatment, California Democrats focus on giving people free needles and a safe place to shoot up,” Sen. Wilk said. “This is one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation that I’ve seen sent to the governor. Leaving people on the streets in squalor, rather than getting them help, shows zero compassion.”

This legislation appears to go hand-in-hand with Democrats’ policies on homelessness… or lack-thereof policies. California’s predominantly Democrat state and local politicians have allowed the homeless drug addicts and mentally ill to live on city and county streets, along rivers, in public parks and golf courses, without constraint. Even the low-barrier homeless shelters Democrats support lack restrictions, allowing for open drug use and drug deals, rape, physical abuses, and other crimes.

Why would anyone think their open drug dens in LA and San Francisco would be any different?

Wilk points out that there is a drug addiction crisis in California and says it is irresponsible for Legislative Democrats to advocate for drug dens, adding that these are the wrong priorities. “Instead, California must focus efforts on rehabilitation, counseling, and other alternatives, including treatment protocols.”

“The legislature must work in tandem with law enforcement to get illicit drugs off our streets and hold drug dealers accountable for the lives they ruin,” Sen. Wilk said. “SB 57 doesn’t do that and could ultimately result in innocent people becoming victims to the crimes and hazards surrounding drug abuse.”

In the Senate bill analysis, Sen. Wiener acknowledges, “California is in the midst of an unprecedented overdose crisis that must be treated as a public health crisis.”

“Fueling the drug epidemic with drug dens and needle supplies is like pouring gasoline on a forest fire. It merely worsens the problem,” Senate Republicans said in their letter to Gov. Newsom.

Notably, there is no pathway to treatment in SB 57, just as with Democrat “solutions” to homelessness – there is no pathway to any treatment.

Senate Republicans urge the public to call the governor and request a veto of Senate Bill 57 at 916-445-2841. Their veto letter is available here.

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10 thoughts on “Senator Wiener, Assemblyman Haney Call on Gov. Newsom to Sign Open Drug Den Sites Legislation

  1. Look where all the authors of this state-sponsored degeneracy hail from :

    “Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the bill’s author, announced a press conference with Mayor Libby Schaaf of Oakland, Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), Supervisor Matt Dorsey to call on Governor Gavin Newsom to sign SB 57. “SB 57 legalizes safe consumption sites in San Francisco, the City and County of Los Angeles, and Oakland,” Wiener says.”

    Back to the opium dens of the late 1800’s/early 1900’s, eh, Weiner??? This guy is probably the BIGGEST LOSER and cancer on the State of California… if there’s any kind of degeneracy or peversion, this guy is trying to legislate and advocate for it….

    Back to “Bagdad by the Bay”….. #Freakshow – San Franfreakshow…..

    1. What? No Buffy Wicks??? (eyeroll)

      She looks like she’s wasted in all the photos I’ve ever seen of her…

  2. I agree. Mobilize to demand Newsom Veto SB57. My campagin for Republican State Assembly 18 is moblizing the citzens throughout the area. My opponet Mia Bonta is a sponser of SB 57. Mindy Pechenuk for State Assembly 18

    1. Yes, thank you, Mindy Pechenuk for State Assembly 18.
      Everyone who reads this: Please consider contacting Gov Newsom’s office (call or write, using the “comment box”) to strongly urge a VETO of SB 57, the so-called “Controlled Subtances: Overdose Prevention Program,” (also known as the “California Urban Injection Sites to Enable Heroin and Meth Addicts Who Will Stumble Out Onto the Street and Likely Overdose Anyway Program”):
      https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/
      It looks like Gov Newsom has until Aug 22 to sign or veto this bill, because the bill was “enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m. on 8/10/22.” (12 days to take action)

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