27 January 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach introduced his legislative priorities on Thursday.
While outlining his legislative plan, Kobach described his proposals to curb the recent impact of fentanyl abuse on the state. The Attorney General told the Kansas Capitol Bureau the use of fentanyl in the state is expected to get worse.
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“It’s not as if the fentanyl crisis is just a temporary thing that is fading now. It looks like it will continue,” Kobach said.
The AG says his office plans to institute harsher sentences on fentanyl crimes and increase penalties if the crime results in death. Kobach also wants to distribute more resources to county attorneys prosecuting fentanyl cases.
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In her State of the State address, Gov. Laura Kelly publicly supported the use of fentanyl test strips to combat the issue. Kobach says he is also open to considering legalizing fentanyl test strips but believes the strips could enable the growth of opioid abuse.
“If there is no adverse law enforcement consequence,” Kobach said, “Then we will be supportive of making them free. It’s a new thing, and we would like to see the empirical data before we leap on that one.”
Kobach’s priorities also include blocking the use of Environmental Social and Governance or ‘ESG’ standards and decreasing retail theft.