The Everett Herald is reporting today that both marijuana legal reform bills in the Washington State Legislature will die in the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee tomorrow. According to the paper, the votes simply aren’t there to get them out of committee and onto a formal floor vote. The bills in question are HB 1177 (the “decrim” bill as it’s known) and HB 2401, which sought to legalize and tax marijuana.
Sensible Washington certainly appreciates the hard work of legislators who have supported these measures and of the ACLU of Washington, which has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make them reality. If both bills die tomorrow, as the Herald predicts, Sensible Washington’s proposed ballot initiative will be the sole remaining method of addressing marijuana legal reform in the State of Washington. We filed the proposed initiative on January 11 and expect to have initial code language from the Secretary of State’s office by the end of this week. We expect to be certified to circulate petitions by about March 1.
Interestingly, the paper notes:
“[State Rep. and committee chair Chris Hurst is] pushing to get the matter resolved to give backers of an initiative for legalization a clear field on which to wage their fight.”
We appreciate Rep. Hurst’s support.
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the politians are scared of the federal goverment. The federal goverment must adhere to the changes of the status concerning marijuana. For the federal goverment it must take 20-25 states to commense action of unity to change the federal goverments regulations and laws.
The people need to stand up for the rights of legalization.
Stop messing around with the local politians. Each state must have the people vote to make the change. Send me the the means to gather signatures I will stand on the corner, at the stores , in the rain or what ever it takes to help get the peoples signatures.
I, too will donate my time to collect signatures. We need to show this “Committee” that the people actually want reform of cannibis laws.
I will dedicate my life to these 3 things, my wife, my work, legalizing weed. I am taking this very serious. This is something the majority of people want. Let’s get this thing passed. I am ready to fight. Also, I am an electrician so if you need any help with electricity let me know
Where can we volunteer to start getting the signatures. I can also help with other things such as web development.
Sign me up as a volunteer to collect signatures. Power to the people!
This Is Crap, what everer happed to FREEDOM or states rights I we all call your state representatives and chew butt
Prohibition is useless to everyone except the drug cartels who use it as a cash cow to finance start up of other criminal industry’s. OH and the police use marijuana charges as a hammer to turn informants and county courts rake in money from fines. if weed is legalized taxed and regulated it will be much harder for kids under 21 to get then no when its wide open even generations ago when I was in junior high it was easy to buy but beer was the drug of choice as it is today. Marijuana and beer are not the same pot wont make a person feel like going out and racing or even driving a car or killing a deer if pot is taxed We might avoid the extra property and other taxes and program cuts our innovative and creative governor has in store for usif my two republicans rep do not vote for this bill it means THEY ARE REPRESENTING THEMSELVES NOT ME and I will do every thing I can to see the don’t get reelected
Given the flawed nature of the Bills in question, this is a good thing.
I’m glad this came out now. At least with this information I won’t be wasting what little fuel I have going to Oly this week. In stead I’ll be saving energy to back your initiative.