Governor Abbott: Stop Arresting Lifesaving 'Good Samaritans'!
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed "Good Samaritan" legislation, under which a person could not be prosecuted if, when an overdose occurs, they call 911, stay until authorities arrive, and cooperate with police.
Abbott's veto sends a message that Texas would rather drug users die than forego the chance of prosecuting someone. That is unacceptable.
When Gov. Abbott's veto was announced, a newspaper headline read, "Abbot to drug overdosers: Drop dead." In the year he vetoed the bill, 2,588 Texans died of overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That's almost double the number of murders in Texas that year!
Now, Gov. Abbott has an opportunity to rectify this mistake. Rep. Ryan Guillen has re-filed the bill, now HB 73, and if the governor would get behind it, it stands a great chance of passing this year. But the governor still hasn't said what changes would need to be made to support the bill, and the legislative clock is ticking.
Together, we can protect lives and reduce unnecessary overdose deaths! Tell Gov. Greg Abbott to back off opposition to Texas' Good Samaritan law and work with the author of HB 73 to find acceptable language.
Subject: Back 'Good Samaritan' law in 2017!
Dear Governor,
Overdose deaths in Texas have become a major problem on your watch. But your veto in 2015 of "Good Samaritan" legislation – which would disallow prosecution if someone calls 911 for help, stays with the patient and cooperates with authorities – made that death total higher than it should be.
That's why I'm urging you alter your stance and support this year's version of the Good Samaritan bill, HB 73 by Ryan Guillen. It's one thing to disapprove of drug use, and quite another to insist that people who use drugs deserve a death sentence. That's the message sent by your veto: That these are Texan lives you do not value.
Texas wouldn't be going out on a limb to pass this bill. As of last year, 32 states have passed Good Samaritan laws. Your veto was an outlier, and it cost lives.
[Your Comment]
Please work with the bill author to find acceptable language and then publicly endorse HB 73. Your veto was hard-hearted, cost lives, and is bad public policy. I hope you take the opportunity to reverse your position. It would save lives.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
