State Rep. Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) is embarking on a legislative effort to strengthen penalties for traffickers of illicit fentanyl.

Simpson, who served as freshman representative of the House GOP Caucus during the 2022 regular session, will hold a press conference next Monday regarding his legislation.

Members of Mobile and Baldwin counties’ law enforcement community will be on hand for the 1 p.m. announcement at the Mobile County Courthouse., according to a release from Simpson’s delegation office.

“The bill I have been working on will make sure that these drug dealers who are selling fentanyl to our kids will actually be put in prison where they belong,” Simpson said in a news release.

The South Alabama lawmaker for months has collaborated with colleagues, judges and law enforcement officials to formulate legislation that ensures fentanyl traffickers are subjected to prison time.

“Right now, these dealers use their drug money to just pay the fine and then go right back out and keep selling this poison,” Simpson said. “I want to make sure that we keep these dealers of death off of our streets and out of our neighborhoods by adding prison time to the punishments for this horrible crime.”

The proposed legislation would add mandatory minimum prison sentences based on the weight of the fentanyl being trafficked.

According to Simpson, individuals who have coordinated with him have come to a consensus that changes are needed to the state’s sentencing requirements for fentanyl dealers.

“Fentanyl is the only drug that you can traffic in the state of Alabama and not get jail time for, despite it being one of the deadliest and most harmful drugs out there,” he said. “It is past time for that to change. You should not be allowed to push a drug that kills children in our community and not have to go to prison.”

Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL