Newsom Vetoes Safe Injection Sites Bill

A bill that would have allowed supervised consumption of narcotics at sites in three California cities was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday. The move was applauded by law enforcement groups and slammed by overdose prevention advocates.

“Today, California lost a huge opportunity to address one of our most deadly problems,” said Sen. Anthony Wiener (D-San Francisco), who authored SB 57. “The dramatic escalation in drug overdose deaths. By rejecting a proven and extensively studied strategy to save lives and get people into treatment, this veto sends a powerful negative message that California is not committed to harm reduction.”

But the Governor — who has national political ambitions — expressed concerns about potential “unintended consequences” in the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland. He is still open to similar overdose reduction efforts, but wants a more moderate plan. Newsom directed state health authorities to work with local officials to come up with one.

“I remain open to this discussion when those local officials come back to the Legislature with recommendations for a truly limited pilot program,” Newsom said. 

Read more at the Los Angeles Times.