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San Diego mother who lost her son to fentanyl overdose begs state legislators to pass AB 367

AB 367 would stiffen penalties for drug dealers who supply doses that cause great bodily injury or death.

SAN DIEGO — During an emotional news conference Friday morning, a San Diego mother pleaded with lawmakers to pass AB 367, a bill that stiffens the penalties for drug dealers who supply doses that lead to great bodily injury or death.

Laura Brinker White lost her 17-year-old son Connor to a fentanyl overdose in May 2021.

"When I got the call and raced home, my son was laying in the hallway next to his room with a plastic blanket draped over him and the police would not let me say goodbye because of the potential exposure to fentanyl," she said tearfully.

She said her son was a football player and good student at Cathedral Catholic High School. He was struggling with anxiety. She said she tried getting him professional help, but a drug dealer got to him first.

"Connor did not overdose from a handful of pills, he took one pill that killed him," she said. 

Assemblymember Brian Maienschein introduced AB 367 last month. The bill would allow prosecutors to apply an enhancement of 3 years to the sentence of any dealers who supply drugs that cause great bodily injury or death.

Brinker White said her son's dealer was sentenced to a year behind bars, but because of good behavior, he was released within six months, right before Thanksgiving.

"He got to go home, but I didn’t have my son on Thanksgiving," she said.

AB 367 will first go before a public safety committee, which is expected to happen within the next month. After that, it will go before the assembly floor.

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