The House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code heard SB 28, sponsored by Rep. Negele, addressing crimes involving synthetic drugs. The bill specifies that an enhancing circumstance includes a prior conviction for dealing or manufacturing a substance represented to be a controlled substance, makes certain offenses involving synthetic drugs an enhancing circumstance, removes certain misdemeanor prosecutions concerning synthetic drugs and synthetic lookalike drugs from eligibility for conditional discharge, and makes the penalty for dealing or manufacturing a substance represented to be a controlled substance a felony of the same level as dealing or manufacturing the controlled substance that the substance is imitating.
The Indiana Public Defender Council testified in support of the bill. The Indiana Public Defender Council testified in opposition of the bill. The bill passed 10-1.
Read the bill at: http://www.iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/senate/28.