Many Americans say it’s the biggest problem our country faces today: the fentanyl plague, which has already taken thousands of American lives.
Concerned citizens also believe the Biden administration hasn’t done enough to combat the epidemic, which critics say has exploded due to a seemingly endless border crisis.
But one border state has just taken action — and it should save many lives.
Texas is always on the frontlines of the illegal immigration battle, as they share a border with Mexico. The Lone Star State sees the worst of the crisis, and they’ve called it an “invasion” more than once.
That’s why Governor Greg Abbott and other lawmakers have taken matters into their own hands. If the federal government won’t protect us, Texas will.
That’s the thinking behind their strong new bill, which passed through the state Senate this week, by unanimous consent.
From Fox News:
The Texas Senate passed a ‘Combating Fentanyl’ bill Wednesday that would open the door for state prosecutors to charge fentanyl distributors with murder.
This is Senate Bill 645, which was introduced by GOP Senator Joan Huffman. The bill would change the label of drug overdoses to “poisonings,” which makes it a bigger legal issue.
Stated Huffman:
We have tragically learned the extent of how dangerous fentanyl is and how even under 1 gram is so dangerous.
It’s a fact that fentanyl is flooding our borders. It is absolutely, without a doubt killing our citizens on a daily basis. And it’s time that we take a comprehensive approach to combat this.
After the unanimous vote, the bill goes to the state legislature. It’s expected to make it all the way onto the books, and that will hopefully stem the awful tide of fentanyl deaths in the country.
Gov. Abbott celebrated the passing of the bill on Twitter:
Here we go!
You kill Texans with fentanyl.
You get charged with murder.Senate passes bill opening door for prosecutors to charge fentanyl distributors with murder.https://t.co/BNInhfgoIG via @TexasTribune
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 16, 2023
Abbott has been trying to bolster security at his state’s border for years, and frequently lambasts President Biden and Vice President Harris for doing nothing to help.
He says the fentanyl issue is a direct result of Biden’s lax border security, and the fact that hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants continue to flood into this country (about 1.2 million last year).
This bill will ramp up the penalties for making and distributing fentanyl; now this will be a third-degree felony.
Currently, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says that a mere 2 mg of fentanyl could be deadly. For comparison, a pill can hold anywhere between .02 and 5.1 mg of the drug.
The DEA seized over 8.1 million fentanyl pills earlier this year and on average, about 300 people die every day from fentanyl poisonings.
These are statistics that nobody should ignore and again, Gov. Abbott and other Texas lawmakers say we’re only facing this problem because we simply don’t have a secure border.
The state has been looking at ways to shore up their border defenses, and passing laws that would greatly hinder illegal crossings.
This is the latest strong move by the Lone Star State to not only protect their residents, but all U.S. citizens.
Key Takeaways:
- The Texas Senate unanimously passed the “Combating Fentanyl” bill.
- It increases the penalties for making and distributing fentanyl, and changes the classification from “overdose” to “poisoning.”
- Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the bill, saying that if you “kill Texans with fentanyl, you get charged with murder.”
Source: Fox News
