California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) returned a bill to authorize safe consumption sites for illicit drugs as part of a pilot program without his signature. The move came on Monday, about three weeks after California Senate approved the measure, authored by State Sen. Scott Wiener (D), and sponsored by Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), along with other co-sponsoring organizations.
“This bill authorizes certain jurisdictions to approve any number of “overdose prevention programs," often referred to as safe injection or consumption sites, where individuals may use illegal controlled substances at supervised facilities,” wrote Gov. Newsom in a veto note. “I have long supported the cutting edge of harm reduction strategies. However, am acutely concerned about the operations of safe injection sites without strong, engaged local leadership and well-documented, vetted, and thoughtful operational and sustainability plans.”
