A stalled California bill aimed at ratcheting up punishments for fentanyl dealers may be getting a second chance on the 2024 ballot.
The proposal, known as “Alexandra’s Law,” would require courts to send a written warning to convicted fentanyl dealers informing them that if they deal again and someone dies as a result, they could face murder charges.
The bipartisan bill was named for Alexandra Capelouto, a 20-year-old Temecula woman who died of fentanyl poisoning in 2019. Two different versions were introduced in the State Assembly and Senate, and both were blocked by public safety committees.
Democrats on the Senate Public Safety Committee argued the bill was too broad and would be ineffective at stopping fentanyl overdoses. Harsher penalties for drug offenses have historically failed to curtail drug use, and have disproportionately harmed communities of color.
But some Republican lawmakers believe cracking down on dealers is necessary. A group of Republicans in the Assembly will attempt to force a floor vote Tuesday on ACA 12, a proposed ballot initiative to let voters decide on Alexandra’s Law.
Meanwhile, a group of parents who have lost loved ones to fentanyl, including Alexandra’s father Matt Capelouto, plan to file a similar ballot initiative with the state Attorney General’s Office Tuesday. The full details haven’t been released, but Alexandra’s Law is included among the proposals.
Last week, a Temecula man was convicted of second-degree murder for supplying a deadly dose of fentanyl to a 26-year-old woman. The conviction was the first of its kind in Riverside County, and was hailed by District Attorney Mike Hestrin as a “landmark” verdict in the legal battle against fentanyl.
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