ODESSA, Texas — The fight against fentanyl has officially taken a step forward. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 6 on Wednesday. It will allow for fentanyl makers and dealers to be charged with murder in the event of a fentanyl poisoning death.
The bill will also increase funding for law enforcement in this battle. State Representative Brooks Landgraf — a republican in Odessa representing House District 81 — helped co-author the bill while working with others around the state. He spoke on how it will help the Permian Basin.
Fentanyl has certainly impacted West Texas.
“There’s no substitute for having the conversations that I had with the parents and family members of victims of fentanyl right in my backyard in Odessa, and in West Texas," said Landgraf. "Those are the conversations that really inform me more than anything else.”
Now, with new laws in place, the hope is to decrease that impact.
“Increasing the penalties, we’re confident it’s going to help serve as a deterrent, if not for the manufacturers, then the traffickers, and if not for the traffickers, then for the street-level dealers," said Landgraf.
When it comes to law enforcement, additional funding looks to add personnel where it is most needed.
“This is very specific to the Permian Basin, where we have historically had a shortage of law enforcement officers, just because it’s difficult for local law enforcement agencies to compete with oilfield salaries," said Landgraf. "So, every sheriff’s office in West Texas is going to be able to get more funding to help make salaries for sheriff’s deputies and police officers more competitive."
As the fight against fentanyl continues in the community, this is a step in the right direction.
“I know the family members that I’ve spoken with appreciate that we have it moving forward," said Landgraf. "Of course, we do wish that we’d had it before any of these families had been torn apart by it, but it’s never too late to do the right thing.”
The bill also includes additional funding for Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and border security efforts. Landgraf noted that it was great to have support from around the state in getting this bill passed and signed as they work to save lives.