AURORA | The Aurora City Council may officially oppose a November ballot measure to increase penalties for fentanyl possession and distribution after the council’s government relations committee took a position against the proposition.

On Thursday, the committee voted 2-1 to pass a resolution opposing Proposition 132, a ballot measure that would set mandatory minimums for certain drug offenses and repeal good samaritan laws, which protect bystanders who call emergency services for an overdose from legal charges. Councilmember Angela Lawson opposed the resolution.

The resolution was sponsored by council members Rob Andrews and Gianina Horton, and supported by council members Alli Jackson and Amy Wiles. 

Horton said the resolution doesn’t tell anyone how to vote on the measure, but it raises concerns about the measure’s potential consequences, including raising costs for the judicial system, potentially increasing overdose deaths and removing judicial sentencing discretion.

The measure proposes making possessing any amount of fentanyl a felony with a mandatory sentence of eight to 32 years. 

“What’s highlighted in this resolution is the strain that (mandatory minimums) would put on the criminal justice system across the board, from officers to the courts,” Horton said. “It essentially treats a teenager who shares a single pill the same as a major drug trafficker.”

Both Jackson and Wiles added that they were concerned that a consequence of the proposition would be fewer resources for prevention and diversion programs.

The Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition reports that Proposition 132 could result in a 41% increase in overdose deaths and estimates 900 more people per year would go to prison, costing about $433 million over five years. 

Colorado saw an increase in overdose deaths in 2025, with more than 1,800 people dying from overdoses. 

The proposition was put on the state ballot by Advance Colorado, a right-wing political group.

In an interview with 9News, Douglas County District Attorney George Brauchler, who is a campaign chair for Advance Colorado, said the goal of the measure is to hold people accountable. 

“If when somebody gives fentanyl in whatever form they give it to them, and it’s the proximate cause of their death, then they face mandatory prison, 8 to 32 years in the Department of Corrections,” Brauchler said. “That’s not true right now.”

The resolution states that city council “believes there should not be an either-or approach, and that Colorado can and should pursue policies that are both compassionate and accountable by aggressively targeting major drug traffickers while preserving judicial discretion and expanding access to effective treatment and recovery services.”

Lawson said she opposes the resolution and supports Proposition 132 because she believes stricter penalties are warranted when it comes to fentanyl possession and distribution.

“I believe there are times when the state needs clear consequences for serious offenses and given the danger of fentanyl and what it has done to our communities, I believe this is one of those situations,” Lawson said. “When we’re talking about different levels of culpability, I believe this measure does recognize different levels of conduct.”

The proposition outlines different penalties for possession and distribution, as well as increasing penalties depending on the amount involved. It also allows some low-level users to get court-mandated treatment and reduce their charge to a misdemeanor.

Responding to the potential costs of increasing incarceration and adjudication, Lawson said fentanyl use has costs for communities and the healthcare system.

With the approval of the government relations committee, the resolution will go to the full city council for discussion and a vote.

Read more Judge will consider new trial for Karmelo Anthony in Texas track meet killing

Read more ICC slams US decision to sanction the court’s president and a senior prosecution lawyer

Read more Chinese Valentine’s Day is rooted in legend and tradition, not just romance