NH lawmakers hear hours of testimony on SB 14 mandatory minimums for fentanyl

A New Hampshire Senate committee heard more than three hours of testimony on SB 14, a bill that would create mandatory minimum prison terms for possession or distribution of fentanyl-class drugs tied to weight thresholds.

Sponsor testimony framed the bill as a response to families of overdose victims and to law-enforcement calls for certainty in sentencing. "We're starting with SB 14 today relative to the, mandatory minimums. I really just wanted to do this bill in 1 word, certainty," the bill sponsor said, describing proposed minimums of three years, six months for quantities at or above 20 grams and seven years for 50 grams or more.

Why it matters: Backers said mandatory minimums will deter large-scale sellers and remove sentencing variability they called unfair to families and communities; opponents said the proposal would sweep up people with substance use disorder, strain correctional budgets and do little to…