Over objections by governor, House forges ahead on safe injection site bill

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Facing an ongoing surge of fatal overdoses, lawmakers in the Vermont House Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would create overdose prevention sites, also known as safe injection sites. It comes as Governor Phil Scott and other opponents continue to oppose the idea.

A decade ago, then-Governor Peter Shumlin raised the alarm bells about opioid addiction, dedicating his State of the State address to an all-out effort to stem the tide

“What started as an Oxycontin and prescription drug addiction problem in Vermont has now grown into a full-blown heroin crisis,” Shumlin said.

Today, overdose deaths are skyrocketing, driven by the deadly opioid fentanyl, which is often combined with the tranquilizer Xylazine, which is resistant to overdose-reversing medications.

In an emotional debate Wednesday, House lawmakers turned to what some call a new way to combat overdose deaths. “I want my community to stay alive, and I want us in this body to do everything we can to make that happen,” said Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, D-Brattleboro.

Lawmakers are working on a pilot program for communities to set up safe injection sites where people can consume drugs under medical supervision and without legal consequences. The sites would be funded by a fee on pharmaceutical manufacturers and opioid settlement funds. Supporters say it will help clean up needles on the streets and connect people with treatment resources.

“in a year where public safety seems to be at the forefront of our priorities, it is clear we need to expand our approach to address this,” said Rep. Taylor Small, P/D-Winooski.

But others question whether the sites would work in a rural state like Vermont and say the state shouldn’t tinker with addiction and treatment. “Recovery prevention education and treatment — those are known, proven, evidence-based best practices and are trauma-informed,” said Rep. Eric Maguire, R-Rutland.

Others, including Gov. Phil Scott, say they have philosophical differences and call the bill a bridge too far. “I just don’t think that a government entity should be in the business of enabling those who are addicted to these drugs that are illegal,” he said.

.The debate over safe injection sites comes in a bigger conversation about public safety, drugs, and housing. Vermont authorities say harm reduction is only part of the public safety puzzle. Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison says Vermont’s criminal justice system also needs enforcement and consequences. “We don’t put people in jail and we don’t have mandatory treatment and we are literally giving people citation after citation,” she said.

There are still questions about who would run the safe injection sites, where they would be placed, and how to staff them. The U.S. Department of Justice under President Biden has essentially turned a blind eye to similar sites in New York City, but there are questions about whether DOF policy would change under a Republican administration.

The House will vote on H.72 once more before sending it to the Senate.