Virginia Republicans have announced their top legislative priorities for the new year, with the primary goal of reducing fentanyl deaths.
According to Republican legislators, it is difficult to charge a drug dealer with the murder of a user who died as a result of fentanyl they purchased unless they are in close proximity to that dealer.
State Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-New Kent, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Virginia intends to address the legislative shortfall.
“This [law] would say if you sell the drugs, it doesn’t matter if you’re in physical proximity,” according to him.
McDougle and Senate Republican Caucus Leader Mark Obenshain are leading the effort.
Fox News Digital contacted Obenshain of Harrisonburg for further comment.
At a separate press conference, Obenshain stated that as long as people are “dying in every corner of Virginia, of every socioeconomic background, that means there’s people out there peddling this poison.”
A pair of Senate special elections were scheduled for Tuesday to determine whether Republicans will gain a slightly delayed majority in the chamber this term, as Democrats currently control it by one seat.
Voters cast ballots in Loudoun County as well as a swath of other red counties, including Buckingham, Fluvanna, and Goochland.
On Wednesday, multiple outlets predicted that Democrats would maintain their slim one-seat majority, necessitating one liberal to support McDougle and Obenshain’s counter-fentanyl proposal.
According to CDC data, the Old Dominion ranked 14th among states in 2022 for total fentanyl-related deaths, with 1,973 fatalities, and was close to the national average in terms of death rate per capita.
In comparison, neighboring West Virginia leads the nation in fentanyl deaths per capita, but total deaths were 1,084, which is less than Virginia.
According to OnePillCanKill Virginia, seven out of every ten DEA-seized pills contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.
A representative for Governor Glenn Youngkin stated that prosecuting fentanyl dealers should have bipartisan support.
“As Governor Youngkin has repeatedly stated, any person who knowingly and intentionally distributes fentanyl should be charged and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” spokesman Christian Martinez told Fox News Digital.
“We cannot continue to let makers and dealers get away with murder – and it is time Democrat lawmakers side with victims’ families over fentanyl makers and dealers.”
In April, Youngkin signed Obenshain’s previous fentanyl-related bill, SB 469, which made illegal possession, purchase, or sale of encapsulating machines for the purpose of producing illicit drugs a Class 6 felony.
It also imposed felony penalties on subjects who allow a minor or mentally incapacitated person to be present while manufacturing any fentanyl-containing substance.
“People are dying in every part of Virginia, from every socioeconomic background, which means there are people out there peddling this poison.
I was proud of our bipartisan effort last year to combat pill presses and their lethal consequences, and I hope that our colleagues will bring the same bipartisan spirit to this effort,” Obenshain told Fox News Digital.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares previously stated that an average of five people die each day from fentanyl overdoses across the state.
“By enhancing penalties and criminalizing the possession and use of machines to produce counterfeit drugs, we are supplying law enforcement personnel with the tools they need to hold drug dealers accountable for poisoning our communities,” Miyares told the press.
After her husband signed the 2023 legislation, Virginia First Lady Suzanne Youngkin stated that “nothing is more important” than protecting Virginia’s families and communities.
“I applaud all persons working hard to fight the spread of this illicit drug taking the lives of far too many Virginians,” according to her.
Virginia Republicans also indicated this week that they will work to pass Youngkin’s December plan to limit gratuity taxation. The plan is similar to President-elect Donald Trump’s “No Tax on Tips” campaign pledge.
“Hard-working Virginians deserve to keep the tips they earn for their service,” she said. “Governor Youngkin’s inclusion of this policy in the budget is an important step in our support of hard-working Virginians, and we’re proud to introduce the bill to put it in the Code of Virginia.”
McDougle announced Tuesday that the chamber will also pursue a ban on transgender women competing in women’s and girls’ sports.
