McHenry Times

Connie Cain, Republican candidate for the Illinois 66th District State House of Representatives, is taking a hard line against a proposal that would decriminalize hard drugs, including cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. 

Cain, who is seeking the seat held by State Rep. Suzanne Ness, a Democrat, opposes House Bill 3447, which simply would fine those in possession of hard drugs.  According to Prairie State Wire, this measure was introduced by State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Downers Grove, and State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville. With the support of 61 Democrats, it passed in the House, but did not garner enough votes to make it through Senate. 

The proposal, according to the report, would have placed only fines on anyone possessing up to 15 grams of cocaine, 200 grams of methamphetamine, 10 grams of phencyclidine (PCP), 10 grams of ketamine, 100 grams of oxycodone and 50 grams of barbiturates. But penalties would be stiffer for those caught with more than 200 grams of fentanyl, which is enough to kill 100,000 people. According to the McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH), all it takes is a dose of fentanyl as small as three grains of rice to prove fatal.

“I am opposed to this legislation along with the Illinois Sheriff's Association and every other law-enforcement organization,” Cain said in a recent interview. “These drugs kill people, and no one should have any amount in their possession. Stricter enforcement of the law is needed to save lives.”

In August the MCDH warned on the county website that overdoses, both fatal and nonfatal, were on the rise with opioid-related deaths up by 250% compared to the prior month. This adds fuel to the debate that tougher laws are needed to stop the spread of drugs in the state. 

“I would support making any possession of fentanyl in any amount a felony," Cain said. "We need to dry up the market for these drugs."

Indeed, drug overdose deaths are escalating in the state, according to illinois.gov, which reported that 2,944 people died from opioid overdoses in 2020, up 33% from the previous year. The website also said the majority of overdose deaths in 2020 resulted from synthetic opioids, which reflected a more than 2,736% spike from 2013 to 2020. Twice as many Illinoisans died from opioids in 2020 than they did from car crashes.

While not having any personal experience with someone on these drugs, Cain said the news is full of such reports. “We are constantly reading about the rise in opioid overdoses with 75% to 80% of those from fentanyl,” she said.

Moreover, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said on its website that fentanyl can be fairly cheap to make and is highly potent, which is a lure for many traffickers to mix it in with other drugs with potentially deadly results. According to the DEA, it has found the drug in basically every street drug as well as counterfeit prescription bills. The synthetic version can be made in China, purchased by Mexican drug cartels and mixed with other drugs that are then sold in the United States, the DEA said. As a result, Cain is seeking tougher laws against the drug.

“I am suggesting that legislation should be enacted that makes fentanyl in particular a felony charge with possession of any amount,” she said in the interview. “The argument is used that we are just punishing drug addicts, but I look at stronger penalties as leverage to get the users to bring evidence against the drug pushers so they can be prosecuted.”