SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A bill in the South Dakota legislature could mean harsher penalties for some drug dealers.
Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead knows people in his county who have been devastated by fentanyl.
“Text messages from friends that just lost their son or daughter, phone calls from friends who just lost someone at work, heartbreak among families, torn apart. It’s here,” Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead said.
Senate Bill 6 aims to bring tougher penalties for people who knowingly distribute fentanyl to someone who dies as a result of the drug.
The crime would be a class 1 felony with up to 50 years in prison, double what the punishment could be right now under certain circumstances.
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“Because of its lethality, we need to make sure people know you cannot be dealing this drug,” Republic Sen. David Wheeler said.
Wheeler is the prime sponsor of the bill.
“I have had constituents, at least one particular person, reach out and talk about how they had a loved one die because of a fentanyl overdose and what can we do to help stem the tide of this scourge in our country,” Wheeler said.