Valdosta father talks about anti-fentanyl law named for son
Mar. 22—VALDOSTA — Gus and Beth Walters of Valdosta were in Atlanta Wednesday when lawmakers passed a bill that was close to their hearts.
"We were overwhelmed," Gus Walters said. "We were brought to tears."
The bill in question — SB 465 — is officially named Austin's Law, after the Walters' son, who died after swallowing a pill laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times more powerful than heroin.
The vote in the general assembly was unanimous.
Austin Walters, 30, died Sept. 9, 2021, after swallowing a Xanax pill he purchased on the street, his father said. He didn't know it had been spiked with fentanyl, which is not a Xanax ingredient, Gus Walters said.
No arrest was ever made, even though evidence was gathered pointing to a suspect, Walters said.
"At the time, the authorities thought they couldn't arrest the guy for anything more than a misdemeanor," he said, "because there weren't any laws that dealt with fentanyl."
Austin's Law makes it a felony case of aggravated involuntary manslaughter to cause a fentanyl overdose death, even unknowingly, by manufacturing or selling any substance with fentanyl in it "after representing that such substance was any controlled substance."
The penalty for violating the new law is not less than 10 nor more than 30 years in prison.
Gov. Brian Kemp has not yet signed the bill, but Walters said he was certain the signature was forthcoming.
Walters said he started pushing for legislation when he emailed state Sen. Russ Goodman, R-8th District, in January 2023.
Family members have been present at the state capitol for "every committee meeting, every subcommittee meeting, every first reading, everything" involving the bill, Walters said.
"We found out about (the final vote) Tuesday afternoon; we were heading to Atlanta at 5 a.m. Wednesday," he said.
Walters described Austin as a "larger than life personality," a salesman for AgPro Tractors who enjoyed the outdoors, loved to cook and was "looking for the right girl" as far as marriage.
The father is glad the law was officially named after his son. "We wanted his name attached to give it a human element and not just leave it as 'SB 465'," he said.
"The Georgia General Assembly made a tremendous step in combatting the fentanyl crisis in our state," said Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in a press release. "I am proud that the Senate and the House recognize the seriousness of this crisis, and I am hopeful that the passage of 'Austin's Law' will help to prevent the senseless deaths of Georgians. With the passage of this bill, those who traffic illicit substances like fentanyl will be held accountable for their deadly actions."
Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.
