03-04-2025
Republicans are fighting fentanyl in Washington. Democrats won't advance our bills
The ongoing fentanyl crisis in our state is a tragedy that continues to devastate our communities, with no decisive action from the state Legislature's majority-party leaders to curb its deadly spread.
Pierce County has been especially affected by this neglect by state leaders. In 2017, the county documented the fatal fentanyl overdoses of two individuals 21 and younger. By 2022, this number had risen to 19 cases. According to the Tacoma-Pierce Department of Health, more than 800 Pierce County lives were lost to overdoses between January 2021 and June 2023.
Overdose is now the most common cause of preventable adult deaths in Pierce County. It outnumbers motor-vehicle collisions and firearms. Local overdose deaths are growing most quickly among people ages 18-24.
Time and again, we have witnessed the catastrophic consequences of this epidemic, and yet, instead of responding with strong, decisive action, the Democrat majority in the Legislature has missed critical opportunities to get tough on those who spread this poison.
The fentanyl crisis is not just a problem for Seattle or Tacoma but rather for the entire state. We are seeing its deadly consequences unfold in real time.
One horrifying example is the recent arrest of Percy Levy, who is accused of being in possession of enough fentanyl to kill 278,000 people — or about one-third of Snohomish County.
What makes this case all the more alarming is that Levy was granted clemency by Gov. Jay Inslee in 2019 after serving 17 years in prison for robbing a drug house, and he had been celebrated as a prison-rehabilitation success story. This incident raises serious concerns about whether the state is truly prioritizing public safety and protecting our communities or if state elected officials are playing a dangerous game of identity politics and anti-law and order pandering that will endanger the lives of innocent people.
We must put the political agendas aside and focus on cracking down on this deadly drug.
Fentanyl has made Washington a national leader in drug-overdose deaths. In 2023 alone, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency removed 4.8 million lethal doses of fentanyl from our state. Meanwhile, 1,067 people died from fentanyl-related overdoses in King County alone, marking a staggering 47% increase in death rates compared to the year before. These statistics speak for themselves: the current approach is failing, and without swift intervention, the crisis will continue to spiral out of control.
To address this, I introduced Senate Bill 5213, which would make it a class C felony to knowingly possess fentanyl, instead of a gross misdemeanor under current law. This would send a clear message that we will no longer tolerate the presence and distribution of this lethal drug on our streets, and we are willing to back it up with tough prison sentences.
Republican Rep. Jim Walsh also introduced House Bill 1000, which sought to impose tougher sentences on those involved in the illegal delivery and distribution of fentanyl, as well as the precursor chemicals used to manufacture it. This bill, like mine, underscores the point that those who are creating this crisis ought to be held accountable for it.
Unfortunately, majority Democrats in the House and Senate refused to act on either bill, which reflects their distaste for measures that get tough on crime. The only fentanyl legislation that appeared to be advancing this session (Senate Bill 5071) would specifically add fentanyl to the law prohibiting endangerment with a controlled substance. Even that common-sense measure, which passed the Senate, is in doubt in the House of Representatives, where it is yet to receive a hearing.
It is incredibly disheartening to see such proposals fail to receive the support they deserve. These bills would provide the necessary framework for a crackdown on fentanyl, offering not just tougher sentences but a clear path to reducing the flow of this devastating drug into our communities.
The continued failure to act is not just an oversight, but a missed opportunity to protect the people of our state. Quite bluntly, it is a dereliction of the Legislature's duty.
It's time for the majority party in this state to prioritize the safety of our citizens and take a stronger stance against the rapidly spreading fentanyl epidemic.
Representative Walsh and I will continue to fight for policies aimed at tackling this issue head-on, but how much longer must we wait for action when there are lives at stake and a majority party that continues to look the other way?
Sen. Jim McCune represents the 2nd Legislative District, which includes parts of Pierce and Thurston counties.
