The Green Thread: Marijuana in the states

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Cuomo, who as recently as last year opposed legalization, included it in his budget proposal.  New York could have a fiscal framework for the program as soon as April.

Thanks, Cynthia!!

[_]

I mean there's really no point in opposing Legal Marijuana in IL anymore, but I don't think personally that the decision is up to Pritzker....

Mike can you please let us have that herb finally?

[Badger]

I mean there's really no point in opposing Legal Marijuana in IL anymore, but I don't think personally that the decision is up to Pritzker....

Mike can you please let us have that herb finally?

If you are referring to muon, remember he's leaving the state legislature in another week or so.

Besides, as smart as he is he was more than willing only about a year before oberfell to deny equal rights to every gay and lesbian person in Illinois because he became a complete and utter b**** two party extremist  in the name of party Unity. I don't care how smart he is, history has shown one cannot count on him to do the right thing.

[Bidenworth2020]

I mean there's really no point in opposing Legal Marijuana in IL anymore, but I don't think personally that the decision is up to Pritzker....

Mike can you please let us have that herb finally?

If you are referring to muon, remember he's leaving the state legislature in another week or so.

Besides, as smart as he is he was more than willing only about a year before oberfell to deny equal rights to every gay and lesbian person in Illinois because he became a complete and utter b**** two party extremist  in the name of party Unity. I don't care how smart he is, history has shown one cannot count on him to do the right thing.

I am pretty sure he is referring to madigan

[Virginiá]

I assumed Mike Madigan, since he's really calling the shots in the legislature. And now that he is once again armed with a super majority, he has some wiggle room with regards to the whims of the executive.

They would have to be stupid to reject legalization though. No one is going to punish them for it, and the state really needs the money, so there are only upsides to this. With that, I'm cautiously optimistic.

[Badger]

Okay, let's war game this. What is the most likely route for legal marijuana to fail in Illinois at this point? Near unified Republican opposition fwiw, no? What are the chances enough conservative Democrats could defect to stop this? Relatively low, correct?

So it comes down to the big players I guess. Will Madigan use his clout to bottle this up in committee? I have a hard time seeing pritzker not sign a bill that comes to him. So it's going to come down to the legislature. Which I think means it's going to come down to Madigan, no?

[MasterJedi]

https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2018/12/31/everyone-wants-legal-pot/

All 19 Municipalities in Milwaukee County voted for recreational pot in the advisory referendum in November.

[free my dawg]

House Speaker Steve Shurtleff is confident that the Legislature can override Sununu's veto. The State House is absolutely going to legalize it.

Right now, you have two crossovers on both sides. The GOP has John Reagan and David Starr (who are both libertarian-leaning Republicans). The Dems have Shannon Chandley (newly elected senator), Cindy Rosenwald (newly elected) and D'Allesandro (entrenched veteran). Most undecideds are Ds, with Harold French being the only Republican.

Chandley and Rosenwald's oppositions seem to be based off of her previous votes, which most of the party has moved past. I think Chandley will come around, and have no doubts Rosenwald will. D'Allesandro opposing really throws a wrench in the override plans.  Between the Gardner stuff and this, I'd be willing to work for any candidate that primaries D'Allesandro at this point.

The good news is that French has been very open to the idea of legalization, and outright sounds like he's leaning yes here. He was one of the crossover votes for the decrim bill,  If Shurtleff/Soucy got him to join on, then legalization will happen this year. I'd put the odds at about 60%.

Right now, THE LIST:
Starr (SD-1): Yea
Giuda (SD-2): Nay
Bradley (SD-3): Nay
Watters (SD-4): Yea
Hennessey (SD-5): Yea
Gray (SD-6): Nay
French (SD-7): Leans Yea (nothing on the record yet - this is speculation)
Ward (SD-8): Nay
Dietsch (SD-9): Nay
Kahn (SD-10): No Info Found
Chandley (SD-11): Leans Yea (voted nay in the spring, but I've heard rumors she's already flipped)
Levesque (SD-12): Yea
Rosenwald (SD-13): Leans Yea (voted nay in the spring, but she's very D establishment and I'd be surprised to see her defect)
Carson (SD-14): Nay
Feltes (SD-15): Yea
Cavanaugh (SD-16): No Info Found
Reagan (SD-17): Yea
Soucy (SD-18): Leans Yea (Can't find anything on the record but she's establishment incarnate, so she'll vote for it)
Birdsell (SD-19): Yea
D'Allesandro (SD-20): Nay
Fuller Clark (SD-21): Yea
Morse (SD-22): Nay
Morgan (SD-23): Undecided
Sherman (SD-24): Yea (Sawxleaks)

Italics are confirmed cross-over votes. I haven't put French in italics yet since there's no confirmation.

[Mr. Illini]

Okay, let's war game this. What is the most likely route for legal marijuana to fail in Illinois at this point? Near unified Republican opposition fwiw, no? What are the chances enough conservative Democrats could defect to stop this? Relatively low, correct?

So it comes down to the big players I guess. Will Madigan use his clout to bottle this up in committee? I have a hard time seeing pritzker not sign a bill that comes to him. So it's going to come down to the legislature. Which I think means it's going to come down to Madigan, no?

Correct, very low. Correct, Pritzker will sign. Correct, it is up to Madigan.

Like many things we have seen in the past, Madigan will hold up a process that a majority of the state and everyone else involved in the legislative process strongly support for...who knows what reasons. I guess he's got more important things to be worrying about.

[QAnonKelly]

Imo there’s no reason for any of the new trifectas to not legalize weed. All the blue states should have it legalized soon. The only one I see being tricky is New Mexico bc in most polls Latinos are the least likely to support it.

[Ye We Can]

Pritzker will absolutely sign it, Madigan wont hold it up this time

[MasterJedi]

Any updates on NJ? They seemed like the state that was going to be the next one to legalize.

[adrac]

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/connecticut-marijuana-legalization-bill-has-a-huge-cosponsor-list/
Looks like my state is gonna do it.

[MasterJedi]

Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) is scared that Evers Medical Marijuana plan will be a slippery slope, aka Wisconsin Republicans will not support any marijuana legislation, even when deep conservative counties gave 80%+ support to medical weed. Lovely -_-

[Lourdes]

The NJ Senate will vote Monday on cannabis legalization, but not guaranteed to pass.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Murphy-Makes-Final-Push-to-Legalize-Marijuana-in-New-Jersey-Before-Vote--507536451.html

[Scrumtrulescent]

At this rate, New York may actually beat New Jersey to the green.

[The Mikado]

NJ got cold feet, it seems.

Next year, perhaps?

[Sestak]

Low energy New Jersey...SAD!

[Lourdes]

At this point I'd be fine with a ballot vote. This is getting ridiculous.

[Virginiá]

NJ got cold feet, it seems.

Next year, perhaps?

They can't seem to understand that voters are not going to punish them come election time for legalization. It's like decades of prohibition have left them with cannabis PTSD or something.

Also, shame on this moron for his 1980s-level thinking:

Opposition to the bill came from a number of fronts. Sen. Ron Rice (D-Essex) opposed it on the grounds legalization would unleash a wave of vice on inner city, predominantly minority communities. Madden, a former State Police superintendent, remained opposed over concerns relating to public safety and law enforcement, two legislative sources told POLITICO.

No need to take anyone's word for it, they can just look at the 10 other states that have legalized, and for bonus points, the dozen+ more that have decriminalized. There are no gd crime waves. What is with Essex lawmakers tanking good bills? This is not the first time that region's Rep(s) have done this.

[Virginiá]

At this point I'd be fine with a ballot vote. This is getting ridiculous.

For an issue that constantly claims large majorities of public support yet fails to unite lawmakers, that is an ideal compromise solution. But it will probably never happen for the same reason lawmakers frequently try to meddle with initiatives after they pass: Many of them see themselves as the only true gatekeepers of the law. They know better than the simpletons they represent, and the people merely serve as an undesirable yet necessary obstacle in obtaining power.

[Mr. Matt]

NJ got cold feet, it seems.

Next year, perhaps?

They can't seem to understand that voters are not going to punish them come election time for legalization. It's like decades of prohibition have left them with cannabis PTSD or something.

Also, shame on this moron for his 1980s-level thinking:

Opposition to the bill came from a number of fronts. Sen. Ron Rice (D-Essex) opposed it on the grounds legalization would unleash a wave of vice on inner city, predominantly minority communities. Madden, a former State Police superintendent, remained opposed over concerns relating to public safety and law enforcement, two legislative sources told POLITICO.

What Rice said there is relatively tame to what he's said other times about what pot would bring to the state:
https://www.nj.com/union/2018/07/sen_rice_concerned_about_legalizing_marijuana_due.html

I would agree that if they just voted yes, it wouldn't hurt them in their next elections (state senate isn't up until 2021 anyway). Hell, it might help get younger people to help GOTV for them next time and certainly help Murphy for the concurrent gubernatorial election. I know my senator was "undecided" (but definitely leaning towards no) so I'm certainly going to take that into account if I decide to not do my yearly canvassing as I've done in the past for her campaign (support the bill, not a partaker of the stuff).

[MasterJedi]

Does NJ have ballot initiative? That would easily get on the ballot if someone started it.

[LabourJersey]

Does NJ have ballot initiative? That would easily get on the ballot if someone started it.

Only the Legislature can call a referendum. There's no initiatives.

And it looks like Ron Rice & Co. are going to hold up the bill. Given the really good criminal justice side of the bill (allowing for tex-felons with marijuana offenses to have them stricken off their record, starting releases for some of those in jail), it's genuinely maddening how these guys (and most them being African American men at that) think this is going to be bad for the state

[S019]

Thank goodness that this failed in NJ

We seem to have one of the best liberal Democratic parties, constantly holding back far-left legislation, good. I feel bad for those in CA and CO, who actually have to deal with this horrendous policy.