Manley Urges Governor to Sign Legislation to Allow Prosecution of Out of State Drug Dealers

JOLIET, Ill. – To provide law enforcement officials with an additional tool to fight the growing heroin epidemic, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, is calling on Gov. Rauner to sign legislation that allows prosecutors to charge out-of-state drug dealers when someone from Illinois dies from the drugs they sold.

“For many years, Will County officials have been working diligently to address the growing heroin epidemic in our communities by increasing awareness and providing more resources to law enforcement officials,” Manley said. “However, when someone dies from an overdose after getting drugs from across state lines, there is little we can do to hold those individuals accountable.”

Currently, suspected drug dealers can be charged with drug induced homicide if they manufacture or deliver a controlled substance that results in another person’s death. However, this law does not apply to any individual who lives out-of-state. Manley recently supported Senate Bill 639, which expands the offense of drug-induced homicide to include delivery of controlled substances in another state which resulted in the death that occurred in Illinois.

“Many people in Illinois live within a short distance of a neighboring state and can easily cross state lines to get heroin and other illegal drugs,” Manley said. “This legislation allows law enforcement officials and prosecutors to take action against individuals selling illegal drugs in our community that result in the death of our friends and neighbors. I encourage the governor to sign this legislation quickly as a measure to help prevent dangerous, illegal drugs from coming into our community.

For more information on Representative Manley’s upcoming events, please contact her constituent service office at RepManley@gmail.com or 815-725-2741.