ALLENTOWN (TNS) — The Christmas season is a time to be cheery and celebrate the good things in life.
So I will take a break from my running criticism of our overpaid state legislators to note some of the positive work they’ve done recently that should make Pennsylvania a safer place to live.
These laws were enacted in 2022 to address threats to our health and safety.
Fentanyl test strips
Act 111 decriminalizes the personal use of fentanyl test strips.
The strips previously were classified as drug paraphernalia. The Legislature changed that to protect drug users who unknowingly buy heroin and other drugs that have been mixed with fentanyl to increase potency.
Often, the users overdose.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, 78% of the 5,343 overdose deaths statewide in 2021 involved fentanyl.
State health officials lauded the law when it was signed last month by Gov. Tom Wolf.
“Fentanyl is undetectable through sight, taste and smell. Unless a drug is tested with a fentanyl test strip, it is nearly impossible for an individual to know if it has been laced with fentanyl,” said Jen Smith, secretary for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.
The legislation, by Rep. James Struzzi II, R- Indiana, passed the Legislature unanimously. Before the House voted in June, Struzzi told his colleagues: “We can make a difference and we can save lives.”
“All of us have been affected by overdoses, whether indirectly or directly through the loss of a family member or a loved one, and if we can give people a simple tool to give them a second chance, we need to do that,” he said.
Test strips may embolden people to continue using illegal drugs. That is a concern. Consider this law from the point of view of the distraught relatives and friends of drug addicts. It should keep more addicts alive so they eventually can get the help they need to kick their habit.
Signed by Wolf on Nov. 3, the law takes effect Jan. 2.
License plate frames
Act 112 amends overbearing legislation that made most license plate frames illegal.
The law amends a statute that made it unlawful to obscure any part of a license plate, even the edges that don’t contain pertinent information.
Critics argued the legislation gave police an excuse to stop vehicles. That’s plausible. Such restrictions are just needless.
In August, the state Superior Court upheld the license plate obstruction law, saying that if legislators intended for it to apply only to the license plate numbers, they would have written it that way.
In that case, Philadelphia police had stopped a car because the bottom of the license plate, which promotes the website of the state tourism office, “visitpa.com,” was hidden.
Police searched the car and found a loaded gun and marijuana.
Act 112 says it is not prohibited for a vehicle to have a license plate frame that “minimally outlines” the plate, as long as the license plate number and state name are visible.
Wolf also signed that unanimously approved legislation Nov. 3 and it takes effect Jan. 2.
Earlier this year, I encouraged lawmakers to erase pointless traffic infraction laws from the books. This is a good example.
Tougher DUI penalties
This law already took effect recently, but I’m mentioning it because it’s a timely reminder to watch how much you drink at holiday celebrations if you will be driving home.
Act 59, which you may have heard of as “Deana’s Law,” increases penalties for repeat drunken drivers and for those with high blood-alcohol levels.
Depending on the circumstances, repeat offenders now can be jailed for up to a decade if they have three or more previous offenses. They can be jailed for up to seven years if they have two prior offenses.
The law, by Rep. Christopher Quinn, R- Delaware, is named for Deana Eckman of Delaware County. She was killed in 2019 when a drunken driver crashed his pickup truck head-on into the car in which she was riding.
The driver who killed Deana and injured her husband, Chris, had previously been convicted of five DUI offenses.
Some people just don’t learn their lesson. So they need to be locked up for a long time to protect the public. This law will do that.
The same concept should be applied to those who commit gun crimes. That’s something our lawmakers should focus on in the new year.
(Email Morning Call columnist Paul Muschick at paul.muschick@mcall.com.)
