Washington County DA shares proposed changes to 'fix and improve' Measure 110

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- When Oregon voters approved Measure 110 in November 2020, it was hailed as a way to get drug users off the streets and into treatment.

The measure passed 59% to 41% three years ago and it decriminalized small amounts of street drugs, making it a $100 violation, instead of a misdemeanor crime.

The idea was to give drug users an option for treatment funded by cannabis taxes, but it's been mostly viewed as a failure.

Only a small percentage of violators actually opt for treatment. The prevalence of drugs on the street, especially fentanyl, is ever-present.

Now there's an effort to change Measure 110.

A coalition of political, civic and business leaders just filed paperwork with the Oregon Secretary of State's office for two voter initiatives to, in their words, "fix and improve" Measure 110.

The "Coalition to Fix and Improve Measure 110" includes former state lawmaker and corrections chief Max Williams and Dan Lavey who is associated with "People for Portland," the group behind those big billboards criticizing Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt.

The coalition also includes Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton, who joined Eye on Northwest Politics this week to talk about Measure 110 and the changes they would like to see.

Watch the full video in the player above.