An all-encompassing legislative amendment containing elements of three anti-synthetic drug bills has been drafted and is moving forward, state Rep. Tony Shipley tells the Kingsport Times-News.
Shipley, R-Kingsport, said the amendment has been tacked on to his anti-synthetic drugs bill and will become the “coordinated legislative package” attacking sellers, distributors and users. Shipley’s legislation with the new amendment advanced out of a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Wednesday.
“It’s now a completely deconflicted and coordinated bill,” Shipley said of the amendment with merged pieces of two other bills, including one filed by state Rep. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol.
Both Shipley and Lundberg have called attention to synthetic drug deaths and increased hospital emergency room visits while touting their bills. During the subcommittee meeting,
Shipley placed over the podium a black T-shirt showing a bath salts container and the words: “Death Sentence. Save Our Community.”
The lengthy legislative amendment that advanced creates new felonies for manufacturing, selling and distributing synthetic drugs