Call your legislators this morning and tell them you want Delaware to join the future and legalize marijuana. It will also be a boost to the economy, a boost to state revenues, and it will help in the treatment of the opioid epidemic. We need 25 yes votes for this pass, as it is a 3/5th majority vote, since the bill includes new fees and taxes. So call Democratic and Republican legislators. Call Jeff Spiegelman. As a young, allegedly libertarian leaning Republican, he should also be for this.
Sources I speak to don’t predict victory on this bill today. Indeed, there may be several Democratic No votes from the old fashioned police officers in the caucus. But let’s break it down.
HB110, the Delaware Marijuana Control Act, introduced last year to legalize possession of marijuana, is sponsored Represenatives Helene Keeley, Paul Baumbach, John Kowalko, Debra Heffernan, Quinn Johnson, Sean Lynn, Edward Osienski, Trey Paradee, Bryon Short and John Viola and Senators Margaret Rose Henry, Bryan Townsend, Colin Bonini and David Sokola. As sponsors, I think it is safe to assume that they will vote yes on the bill.
So that is 10 votes in the House right there.
In 2015, we had a vote on HB39, the Decriminalization of Marijuana. It passed the House 24-14, with 3 not voting or absent. Here are the vote breakdowns in the House:
YES VOTES: (24) B.Short, Baumbach, Bennett, Bolden, Brady, Carson, Heffernan, J.Johnson, Jaques, K.Williams, Keeley, Kowalko, Longhurst, Lynn, M.Smith, Matthews, Mitchell, Mulrooney, Osienski, Paradee, Potter, Q. Johnson, Schwartzkopf, Viola
NO VOTES: (14) Collins, D.Short, Dukes, Gray, Hensley, Hudson, Kenton, King, Miro, Outten, Smyk, Spiegelman, Wilson, Yearick
NOT VOTING/ABSENT: (3) Barbieri, Peterman, Ramone
24 votes will not be enough. We need 25. This is a 3/5ths vote. By my math, 3/5ths of 41 is 24.6, meaning we need more than 24 votes to pass this. It would be foolish to assume all the votes will stay the same. Voting for decriminalization is not the same as legalization. But if all votes do stay the same, and if we include Bentz as a yes, then that will be 25 votes.
Strategically, I would contact the following Representatives: Bentz, B.Short, Bennett, Carson, Jaques, Longhurst, M.Smith, Mitchell, Mulrooney, Paradee, Postles, Q. Johnson, Ramone, Schwartzkopf, Spiegelman, Viola
I have included in the list above some Democrats who are more conservative or “police-friendly” and/or who represent more conservative districts. These Dems voted yes, but taking the next step might require some hand holding. So call them and respectfully ask them to support it. You can find all the contact information here.
Jeff Spiegleman is my representative and I will call him, it will not be the first time I lobbied him on behalf of legalization. I don’t think it’s inevitable but it is highly likely that at some point the innate greed of the politicians will take over and it will be legalized. But only after the train has left the station and surrounding states are raking in the money.
HB110 should be rewritten without all the Delaware idiosyncrasies. Why does there need to be a whole new agency to regulate marijuana sales and use when it could be regulated by the existing alcohol and tobacco guys.How many new directors, commissioners and agents, all of whom I’m guessing will be ex law enforcement cronies, will there be?
Also there is a very limited number of dispensaries which will be selectively handed out to probably, you guessed it, more cop cronies. And why can’t you grow a small amounts of marijuana.
This new bill reeks of the seedy side of the Delaware Way.
And you were expecting something else? The good part is that once other states legalize it you won’t have to buy it in Delaware.
@anono: How little money do you have? That seems to be your main concern on every issue. Grow up, for god’s sake.
What??? Id this directed to Yourself or RSE?
It says @anono. It’s directed at you, cheapskate.
I like your use of “reek” and “seedy”.
I too would like either a more small-business friendly approach, or the legal ability to produce my own.
But Delaware hates small business. Oh well. What it WILL do is make most* amounts of possession legal, so when i go to a pop-up market in DC, I dont have to worry as much coming home.
Yikes! Complete agreement!
Interesting:
https://news.lift.co/five-years-effects-legalization-colorado-washington-state/
What does local Law Enforcement say on this issue? What Policies and Procedures, are in place for Law Enforcement? There is no mention of that.
“One of the main concerns voiced by local law enforcement is the lack of a reliable field test for marijuana.” northnewjersey.com
Of course, there will be more money spent, as government HAS to grow, to oversee this. Would have to agree with RSE.
The only reason for “reliable field tests” is so they can hand out DUI’s for weed and have it stand up in court. Government does not “have to grow”, for once private enterprise and competition really would drive prices down and be more efficient.
I really don’t care what law enforcement has to say about it. They work for us, not the other way around.
They needs P&P to do their job and it’s a tough profession. They put their lives on the line everyday. So, yea it’s a concern. https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2018/01/02/marijuana-legalization-nj-6-top-concerns-law-enforcement/995590001/
oh come off it. Cops who dont want it legalized are just lazy. They would rather murder black kids for toking up, than go after meth heads or actual criminals.
This just makes pretend that there are not other places doing a decent job policing the impaired. CO actually had a reduction in Pot DUIs last year. I think this is about losing a “gateway charge” more than anything else. And there are no incidences of potheads hurting anyone with their Fritos.
Bingo. “Smelling marijuana” is a cover-all claim that allows unwarranted searches.
Most cops are power-drunk. Most people who blindly support them are inclined to kiss any autocrat’s ass.
“They put their lives on the line every day.”
Please peddle your pro-cop progaganda to people who buy it. We don’t.
Cops are liars. Period. Full stop. They are not there to make laws but to enforce them, yet they meddle in lawmaking constantly. They are the one union I fully support busting.
Al, until YOU need help. Then, it’s would be totally different.
That old canard. What “help” do you think I would call a cop for? A robbery? I need a police report for insurance purposes. If I’m being assaulted, they’re not going to stop it. Seriously, under what circumstances do you think people call the police?
This isn’t about them doing their jobs. I’m paying them for that. So are you, though you apparently regard it as a religious offering.
This is about them meddling in politics. They work for us. They need to be constantly reminded of that because very many of them think it works the other way around.
Grow up.
And you still haven’t told me what work you do or did. If you’re going to attack me for my profession, you should come clean yourself.
Here you go, anono:
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/watch-body-cam-footages-busts-cops-lying-beating-citizen-littering-stop/
How are they meddling in politics? In every profession there are persons that are not the best. I’ve never had a problem with any law enforcement persons, that I have met. Maybe, it’s just you! Your just angry and love to rant about anything. You don’t have to answer what I post, but you choose to do so.
Just go do what you tell everyone else to do, that doesn’t agree with you!
I realize it must be difficult, but try to understand that some people have a lot more experience with the political world than you have. I have dealt with police brass, professionally. I’m not talking about the guy who gives you a ticket.
I answer what you post because I cannot stand proud ignorance. You’re ignorant, it’s probably partly not your fault, but you’re fucking PROUD of your ignorance. I try to stamp out ignorance wherever I find it.
At least you’re not a malicious little prick like xyz, but you’ve shown yourself incapable of intelligent discussion time after time after time, answering in cliches or with links you either haven’t read or don’t understand.
This is a blog about politics, not your gripes. If you make intelligent comments you’ll get no grief from me. If you make dumb ones, you will. Parroting mindless right-wing cliches like “wait until you need one” is worst of all. It shows you have no mind of your own, just a grab-bag of pieties that authority figures have shoveling in there over the years.
I know of no other state that allows the police to meddle in politics, the intrusion of the Delaware State Police in particular is unwelcomed. As has been stated here numerous times No More Retired State Police candidates.
Retired police can run for political office. I’d rather see term limits!
Nobody here cares what you want.
Why is it only retired cops suddenly are for legalization, while those currently on the force are opposed? Its about the money they rake in from a bust…look how many people up the line make money…from the cops, to the magistrate, clerks, etc, etc. Cops are opposed, unless your a former cop like the moron that runs the Med. Dispensary in Delaware. While a cop he arrested, now he is selling it! That dispensary is the worst. Have few to no edibles. Once you find which one helps you medical issue, they run out of it. This is Carpers boy, is Carper and this former cop sharing the proceeds?
Calling Jeff Spiegleman, wish me luck, I’m goin’ in.
Called young Jeff’s office and left a message with an aid. Der Spieglemaster emailed me back saying he can support legalization, but not in this bill which described as “deeply flawed” and that he would offer an amendment. He never specified what the flaws were or what he would do to fix them. Suspect like all things Republican his concern was who would make money from it.