Kentucky State FOP: ‘Through his position as Majority Leader, Senator McConnell answered our call and made this legislation a national priority.’
Additionally, President of the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police, Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue, Jr., commented: “Kentucky’s law enforcement officers have no greater friend than Senator McConnell, and his support is critical to our work to protect our families and to keep our officers safe. Through his position as Majority Leader, Senator McConnell answered our call and made this legislation a national priority. We’re grateful to Senator McConnell for his leadership for Kentucky and his work to help protect our Commonwealth from the scourge of drugs.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced Thursday the Senate passed a measure he supported that will allow all types of fentanyl-like substances (analogues) to continue being designated as Schedule 1 narcotics. Fentanyl -- a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin -- continues to be the most lethal drug for Kentucky causing nearly 800 overdose deaths in 2018 alone. The legislation now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
“Kentucky’s law enforcement officers have no greater friend than Senator McConnell, and his support is critical to our work to protect our families and to keep our officers safe,” said Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue, Jr., President of the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police. “Through his position as Majority Leader, Senator McConnell answered our call and made this legislation a national priority. We’re grateful to Senator McConnell for his leadership for Kentucky and his work to help protect our Commonwealth from the scourge of drugs.”
Senator McConnell delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding Senate passage:
“We passed an important bill that will keep analogues of the dangerous drug fentanyl designated as Schedule I narcotics. It will keep them appropriately listed among the most dangerous illegal drugs and keep this important tool in the hands of law enforcement.
“The legislation also preserves mandatory minimum sentences for the criminals who unleash these dangerous poisons on our streets.
“Law enforcement officials from Kentucky and across the nation had been pleading with Congress for months to keep these tools in place. But our Democratic colleagues had resisted Republican efforts to make these temporary measures permanent.
“Finally, this week, thanks to Chairman Graham of the Judiciary Committee, we were at least able to get an agreement to prevent these measures from expiring for now.
“There is a lot more work to do. Fentanyl and these analogues are a plague. They kill more Kentuckians than any other illegal drug – nearly 800 overdose deaths in 2018 alone, just in our state. And the problem is nationwide.
“So we’re going to stay in this fight and keep working. But today’s victory was an important step.”
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