The move frustrated advocates who want to see increased accountability for a crisis that kills thousands of Americans every month.
Matt Capelouto, whose daughter is the namesake for the bipartisan bill known as 鈥淎lexandra鈥檚 Law,鈥� shouted at lawmakers during the hearing, accusing them of 鈥渕aking every excuse for drug dealers鈥� before storming out with other parents when it became clear the bill would not pass.
鈥淓very year the deaths keep going up and up, and every year this committee 鈥� the [Senate] Public Safety Committee, of all names 鈥� comes up with excuse after excuse after excuse to not hold fentanyl dealers accountable,鈥� Capelouto said in an interview after the bill鈥檚 hearing.
Caplouto鈥檚 daughter Alex died in 2019 after taking a fentanyl-laced pill she believed was oxycodone. He has traveled from his home in Riverside County multiple times to advocate for the bill, including its previous versions.
Now, he and a group of other advocates who have lost family members to fentanyl overdoses are considering a ballot initiative.
鈥淚f our Senators won鈥檛 pass this, we鈥檒l take it to the people,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are more and more victims every day and Californians are fed up.鈥�
Nearly 6,000 Californians died from fentanyl overdose in 2021, about 83% of all opioid-related deaths that year, according to .
It mirrors a nationwide trend of skyrocketing deaths from the synthetic opiate, which police say has become more widespread in recent years because it is cheaper for drug cartels to make and sell. It鈥檚 also more deadly.
With legislative deadlines approaching, the defeat of Alexandra鈥檚 Law means it is likely finished for the year.
The bill鈥檚 author, Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) said in a statement he was 鈥渟tunned鈥� by the vote.
鈥淚t鈥檚 discouraging that my colleagues don鈥檛 see the reality of the epidemic and the benefit of stopping repeat fentanyl dealers,鈥� he said, adding that he would continue to work on the issue.
Many Democrats on the two legislative committees that deal with public safety issues are and repeat what they call mistakes from a failed war on drugs.
Before Capelouto and others left the room, Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), attempted to acknowledge their anger.
鈥淚 know everyone here is frustrated and feels we are blocking something that would 鈥� limit overdose deaths,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he concern is there is no real evidence that this would in fact limit overdose deaths.鈥�
Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) argued the bill would have unintended consequences for people who may not know they are giving or selling fentanyl, including college students.
鈥淭his bill does not require you to have even the slightest indication that you know there was fentanyl鈥� in a drug that was sold, transported or furnished, Wiener said, adding it could result in a 鈥渓egally consequential warning鈥� forever on a person鈥檚 record.
Republican lawmakers on Tuesday sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, asking him to back some bills that would increase penalties for crimes involving fentanyl, including if the drug results in a death or for selling it on social media.
The letter points to Newsom鈥檚 previous involvement to get climate and mental health measures passed.
鈥淵our voice has tremendous influence, especially with our colleagues across the aisle,鈥� it reads. 鈥淲e are asking for this same level of engagement with the bipartisan effort to address California鈥檚 fentanyl crisis.鈥�
The Assembly鈥檚 public safety committee has also blocked bills that would tighten criminal penalties for fentanyl. After bipartisan pressure, Chairperson Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) agreed to move up a special hearing focused on the issue to Thursday, April 27.
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