The Maine Legislature is set to consider a Democrat-led bill during a Wednesday public hearing that would expand the existing “Good Samaritan” law, providing increased immunity for drug users.
[RELATED: Halsey Frank: Maine’s new, not-so-good Samaritan law…]
Under the current law, drug users are immune from prosecution or arrest based on any information gathered during a medical or law enforcement response to a drug overdose.
The law even prevents law enforcement from arresting someone who is subject to an unrelated outstanding warrant if they are identified during the response, with exceptions for some violent or other serious crimes.
[RELATED: Crimes Committed by Perpetrators on Bail or Early Release Continue as Some Seek More Leniency…]
The Legislative Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety will hold a public hearing on Wednesday for far-left Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross’ (D-Portland) LD 1646, aimed at expanding the Good Samaritan law.
Currently, the law only provides immunity during responses to actual medical emergencies stemming from suspected drug overdoses.
Rep. Talbot Ross’s bill would extend those protections to encompass all calls related to suspected drug overdose symptoms and remove references to actual medical emergencies.
LD 1646’s definition of what constitutes a symptom of a drug overdose is extremely broad. It includes confusion, disorientation, unresponsiveness, agitation, paranoia, excessive sweating, abnormal vocalizations, and a variety of other symptoms that could easily stem from non-drug-related ailments.
The definition would apparently prevent law enforcement from taking any action based on information gleaned during the response to calls for assistance related to any of that broad array of symptoms.
The Good Samaritan law aims to save lives by encouraging people who would otherwise be reluctant to call emergency services for fear of arrest to request assistance in the event of a life-threatening overdose. However, it also restricts law enforcement officers’ ability to arrest criminals.
During a September interview on the Q-Point podcast, Brewer Police Chief Chris Martin identified the Good Samaritan law as one of the “soft-on-crime” policies hurting Maine. He claimed that the state is essentially killing drug users through lenient laws.
“We’re essentially loving them to death,” he said.
Talbot Ross’s bill is a carry-over from the last legislative session when it was tabled during a work session and failed to receive a public hearing.
LD 1646 is not a purely partisan bill and drew co-sponsorship from nine legislators, including three Republicans: Sen. Marianne Moore (R-Washington), Rep. Mark Blier (R-Buxton), and Rep. Nathan Carlow (R-Buxton).
The Criminal Justice Committee will also hold public hearings on Wednesday for two additional bills.
LD 1671, another carry-over bill from Rep. Adam Lee (D-Auburn), would require law enforcement agencies to disclose any “credibility information” regarding an officer serving as a witness in a trial to the prosecuting attorney.
That information would include any details that could negatively impact the officer’s credibility, such as a history of misconduct, dishonesty, or “bias against protected classes.”
Rep. Lee’s bill drew support from three Republican co-sponsors.
The third bill up for a public hearing on Wednesday is Sen. Jill Duson’s (D-Cumberland) LD 1962, which would establish the new governmental Office of the Corrections Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman would investigate complaints from prisoners, ensure compliance with statutes and regulations involving the treatment of prisoners, identify actionable issues, and promote “public awareness and understanding of the problems and challenges of incarceration.”
That bill was likewise carried over from the last session and did not previously receive a public hearing. It does not have any Republican co-sponsors.
