While the bill called for local boards of supervisors and city councils to hold public meetings and consult with law enforcement before implementing a program, the governor expressed worry about “the operations of safe injection sites without strong, engaged local leadership and well-documented, vetted, and thoughtful operational and sustainability plans.”
Newsom said he remains open to the idea on a more limited basis and comprehensive plans showing how the programs can run safely and effectively.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, the bill’s author, called the governor’s veto “tragic.”
California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher said in a statement on Monday that the legislation “should have never made it to the Governor’s desk in the first place.”
“I am very grateful to the Governor for being the sense of reason in this case,” Gallagher said. “We need to stop enabling criminal acts. Instead, we should promote policies that will empower people to safely get off the streets and reintegrate into our communities.”