In a memo issued Monday, Newsom wrote that he is concerned about Senate Bill 57 and safe injection site operations without committed local leadership and “well-documented, vetted and careful operational and sustainability plans.” The proposed bill would allow the use of safe injection or consumption sites, where residents can use illegal controlled substances in supervised facilities. The state Senate approved the proposed bill on a 21-11 vote earlier this month. “The unlimited number of safe injection sites this bill would authorize — facilities that could be in place by the end of this decade — could cause a world of unintended consequences. It is possible that these sites will help improve the safety and health of our urban areas, but if done without a strong plan, they could work against that purpose,” Newsom wrote in his memo, adding that open drug use in state cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland “can’t be taken seriously.” “Exacerbating the challenges of drug use in these areas is not a risk we can take,” Newsom added. Newsom also said he is directing the state Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene city and county officials to discuss best practices for safe and sustainable overdose prevention programs. Scientists link common herbicide to animal convulsions Trump kept more than 300 classified documents after leaving White House: report “I remain open to this discussion when these local officials come back to the Legislature with recommendations for a truly limited pilot program — with comprehensive plans for sitin, operations, community partnerships and fiscal sustainability that demonstrate how these programs will be executed safely and effectively Newsom said in his memo. This comes as state GOP lawmakers applauded Newsom, who initially supported the proposed bill, for changing his mind and vetoing the legislation. “I’m glad to see the governor veto this. People struggling with addiction need help, not a legal place to shoot up,” state Sen. Scott Wilk (R) said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the governor to convince Democrats in the legislature that a compassionate approach to addiction is best done through medical and mental health treatments.”
