Oregon Democrats are seeking to reverse their previous move to decriminalize drug possession as the state deals with one of the most severe rates of overdose deaths in the nation.

Lawmakers advanced the decriminalization effort three years ago through a ballot measure that was approved by 58% of voters. Individuals who possess small amounts of hard drugs face nominal fines: those who are found in possession of less than one gram of heroin, for instance, are subject to a $100 penalty that is rarely enforced.

The new proposal would reintroduce misdemeanor penalties for those found in possession of hard drugs. Due to the worsening fentanyl crisis and ongoing open-air drug use in urban areas, residents of Oregon have grown increasingly skeptical of the drug decriminalization push, which was initially framed as a mechanism to facilitate addiction recovery.

More than 60% of residents believe that drug decriminalization has led to increased homelessness, addiction, and crime, according to a survey from DHM Research last year. Some 63% said they would support reintroducing criminal misdemeanor charges against hard drug possession and using cannabis taxes to fund drug addiction programs.

“It’s the compromise path, but also the best policy that we can come up with to make sure that we are continuing to keep communities safe and save lives,” Oregon Democratic State Senator Kate Lieber, who represents the city of Portland, said in an interview. The lawmaker is sponsoring the bill to restore criminal misdemeanor charges for hard drug possession.

Under the new proposal, possession of hard drugs would be punishable by as much as $1,250 or thirty days in jail. The law would not apply to cannabis products or psychedelic mushrooms.