The Latest: Hassan signs $1.5 million police funding bill

CONCORD, N.H. – The Latest on action on a $1.5 million drug enforcement funding bill (all times local):

5:45 p.m.

Gov. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, has quickly signed legislation to spent $1.5 million on a police drug enforcement program called “Operation Granite Hammer.”

Hassan’s signature comes soon after the House passed the bill, a reversal of the chamber’s position two weeks earlier.

Officials say the program, already in operation in Manchester, has taken 25,000 doses of illegal drugs off the streets.

Hassan is praising law enforcement for their work to help stem the state’s heroin and opioid crisis. New numbers show 141 people have died from drug overdoses this year, with another 84 deaths pending toxicology reports.

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3 p.m.

Lawmakers approved $1.5 million in fresh funding for drug enforcement on Thursday after hours of protests by some Republican House members.

Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan was expected to sign the bill Thursday afternoon.

The money will used for police officers’ overtime pay to expand a program called “Operation Granite Hammer,” already in operation in Manchester. The program aims to stifle the flow of illegal drugs by putting more police officers on patrol in highly trafficked drug areas. It also includes overtime money for the state forensics lab that evaluates illegal substances.