New bill aims to give fentanyl dealer larger jail time facing hurdles with state

FRESNO, Calif. — Local leaders are now pushing the California Public Safety Committee to pass a new bill, AB 1058.

The bill was written by Assemblyman Jim Patterson in an effort to punish fentanyl dealers with tougher sentences.

“We are not winning the war on fentanyl or the opioid crisis that is within our community, our state, and our nation. #2 the state's Public Safety Committee refusal to hear our comments on this bill will cost lives," said Assistant Sheriff Steve McComas, with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.

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In a news conference on Friday, along with local leaders supporting the bill, Patterson said that the committee refused the bill.

“They simply will not hear the bill," Patterson said.

He says he is outraged that the committee continues to put criminals first than the community's safety, allowing criminals to get away with minimal punishments.

“Those who are profiting by the addiction and ignoring the death of our kids have essentially been given a green light. Go ahead. Do it. You have a couple 1000 pills. The most we can do is have you on a misdemeanor," he said.

Patterson points out that under our existing laws, addicted victims are treated the same as their dealers who were carrying over a thousand pills when they were detained.

He says the committee has told him if the bill increases penalties, they will refuse to pass it because it harms the addicted victims.

But Patterson his bill does the contrary.

"We wanted to make sure that it captured the dealers. But didn't turn some kids, some addicts struggling for four or five or six pills into felons," he said.

His bill would increase jail time for those carrying 28.35 grams or more of fentanyl.

He says it would end the cycle of dealers getting out of prison early to commit the same crimes over and over again.

Fresno Police Department Chief Paco Balderrama says it's only going to get worse.

He reports 100,000 fentanyl overdoses were recorded in 2021 and assumes the numbers for 2022 will be higher.

Patterson says he will continue to fight for our streets to be safer. He says state representatives will continue to see the bill on the table until it gets approved.

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It's time that the legislators in Sacramento stand up and do the right thing. Because, what they have done here is they are sending the clear message. They care more about the drug dealers than they do about the rest of us," said Pamela Smith, whose son died of a fentanyl overdose at the age of 22, "They need to hold these drug dealers accountable and put them away for a very long time because that's what they deserve because they are killing our children.