For the City Times

Bi-Partisan Legislation Passes Assembly Unanimously

MADISON – Law enforcement got one step closer to getting a new tool in the fight against the opioid epidemic with the Assembly passage of AB 335, a bill that would crack down on the distribution of fentanyl analogs.

Sen. Patrick Testin (Stevens Point) is the author of the bill.

“Fentanyl is already a schedule 1 controlled drug, but some drug pushers have engaged in the manufacture of new opioids by tweaking fentanyl’s chemical makeup (the analogs),” said Sen. Testin. “This bill enables law enforcement to go after these new drugs, and the dealers who sell them. Too many lives are being cut short by opioid addiction; we need to use every possible tool to fight back.”

The bill has received support from both the law enforcement and health care communities, with the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians, and Wisconsin Medical Society all voicing their support. Attorney General Brad Schimel also hailed the bill’s progress as a step forward.

“Fentanyl is a new, dangerous drug in Wisconsin that has begun to take hold in the state in recent years,” said Schimel. “The legislation passed in the Assembly this week will give us another tool to fight back against it….Wisconsin will be staying ahead of new trends in drug abuse.”

The bill is expected to begin moving through the Senate soon.