PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs signed legislation this week that adds tougher penalties for defendants convicted of offenses involving the sale of fentanyl in Arizona.
House Bill 2245 adjusts the sentencing ranges for criminal offenses involving possessing or transporting the deadly drug. A first-time offender found guilty of possessing or transporting at least 200 grams of fentanyl will now face a sentencing range of five to 15 years in prison.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: La gobernadora Hobbs firma un proyecto de ley que endurece las penas por delitos relacionados con el fentanilo
A repeat offender faces up to 20 years in prison. The offenses must specifically involve the sale of fentanyl to another person, public records show.
Before HB 2245 was passed, Arizona's sentencing guidelines for a first-time offense involving the transportation of narcotics would have typically been between four and 10 years.
The bill, referred to as the "Ashley Dunn Act," was named after a Prescott woman who died in 2021 from fentanyl after ingesting a counterfeit Percocet pill.
"After three years of work, I’m incredibly proud to finally have the Ashley Dunn Act become law," said state Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-District 1. "Fentanyl is wreaking havoc on communities, particularly in my home of Yavapai County. It must be stopped and more done to protect Arizona families from losing loved ones to it."
The same year of Dunn's death, Arizona reported having over 2,000 opioid-related deaths throughout the state.
The legislation passed through both chambers of the Arizona Legislature with support from Democrats and Republicans.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.