Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers on Monday joined other state leaders and law enforcement officials in saying that a fentanyl bill introduced last week by the Colorado Legislature “does not go far enough.”

In a statement, he said that the bill – which targets drug dealers by proposing increased criminal penalties – “does not adequately address the nature and extent of the fentanyl problem in the state.”

The statement comes as some other officials, including Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen, press for harsher penalties for fentanyl possession.

Fatal overdoses involving the drug have skyrocketed since 2015, the product of shifting economics and priorities within the illicit drug trade accelerated by the pandemic.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock presses for harsher penalties for fentanyl possession

More than 800 Coloradans died after ingesting fentanyl in 2021, according to state data. That represents a roughly 50% increase from 2020 and more than triple the number of deaths from 2019.

Under the legislation of House Bill 1326, any possession of fentanyl with an intent to distribute, no matter how much, is a minimum class 2 drug felony, a charge that can result in imprisonment of two to four years, plus fines of $2,000 to $500,000. Simple possession of up to 4 grams remains a misdemeanor offense.

While he commended lawmakers for “attempting to fix the problem,” Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen told The Gazette that he doesn’t know what could justify allowing possession of up to 4 grams of fentanyl to remain a misdemeanor.

“The Colorado Legislature needs to start listening more to law enforcement and others responsible for public safety, and less to organizations whose objective it is to minimize the consequences for criminal behavior,” Suthers said in his statement.

The Denver Gazette contributed to this report.