Supporters of the bill argue the increased penalties will be a deterrent and help keep dealers out of the state – protecting West Virginia residents. Sponaugle pointed out the minimum sentence under this bill is the same as for committing second-degree murder. “And they’re looking at a minimum of 10 years to 30 years in the penitentiary. “So if you have a kid that’s an addict, and goes next door, grabs prescription drugs, comes back to a party, and they spread it around, they’ve just committed this offense,” said Democratic Delegate Isaac Sponaugle of Pendleton County. A judge would have the option to fine the offender $25,000, incarcerate, or both.Ī handful of members in the House who spoke against the bill argue the penalties are too high and would end up catching addicts rather than traffickers coming in from out-of-state. The minimum sentence would increase from one to ten years, the maximum from fifteen to thirty years. The bill increases the minimum amount of jail-time attached to a drug trafficking offense, or someone who gets caught bringing drugs into the state. Those growing numbers are why Republican legislative leaders say they’re pursuing bills like House Bill 2579. The Center also reports 86 percent of those deaths in 2016 were linked to at least one opioid. According to the West Virginia Health Statistics Center, 818 people died of a drug overdose in 2016 - a nearly 13 percent increase over the previous year.
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