Peoria Standard

Sen. Sally Turner of the Illinois General Assembly recently discussed Senate Bill 4221, which she introduced in August.

"As the General Assembly heads into its annual veto session, we find ourselves with no veto pieces of legislation to review," Turner said. "Considering that fact, I believe the General Assembly should use the next two weeks to seriously consider legislation that I filed to help combat the ongoing fentanyl poisoning and synthetic opioid epidemic that's already claimed thousands of lives in Illinois. This epidemic grows more serious each year as the number of deaths continue to climb. No longer is this just something that happens in a faraway land, it’s happening everywhere. It’s taking place in cities down to rural communities and is killing our families. We as legislators have a responsibility to take action and protect the people who are the targets of this deadly poison."

Turner said that these measures were not intended to punish victims.

"Before I go into the details of my legislation, I want to make it clear that these measures are not directed at the victims," Turner said. "They’re not directed at the victims of this ongoing crisis, but it's directed at those who are taking advantage of their addiction. It's important that we support and care for those afflicted with addiction but send a strong message to those who seek to make a profit off of this poison and are poisoning these victims’ lives."

She also went into detail about why she's backing the plan. 

"That’s why I filed SB 4221, which would create two new offenses and penalties for those who are intentionally selling scheduled drugs with fentanyl and are using electronic communication devices to sell fentanyl," Turner said. "It is our impassioned hope that this will address the overwhelming increase of overdosing and dying from fake pills that are made to look like prescription opioids or stimulants." 

The bill amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act and makes changes so that a person who knowingly and unlawfully sells or dispenses any scheduled drug containing a detectable amount of fentanyl is guilty of a Class X felony and shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than nine years and not more than 40 years or fined not more than $250,000.

Turner serves on the Ethics Committee and Senate Higher Education Committee. She was first elected to the Illinois Senate in 2021.