A rare look inside the sausage factory a state legislature to see the many obstacles to passing sensible marijuana law reform. A Stasher forwarded to me the ongoing conversation he is having with Rep. Dave Upthegrove, sponsor of HB 1177, a decrim bill in Washington State. Here’s the money quote:
I feel like I’ve started a discussion among my colleagues (thanks, in part, to the many awesome people who have been emailing their legislators)…and that this is the start of a longer process to bring drug policy reform onto the legislative agenda for serious debate and action. It’s been a long time since legislation has been introduced on this topic (other than relating to medical marijuana), and this is the first step.
The best thing to do probably is to get the word out for people to contact their legislators. My legislative colleagues need to understand that people actually DO care about this issue. Encourage people who email their legislators to focus on the cost savings to our courts, and the time it frees up for police to focus on more dangerous crimes. I personally feel that the so-called “war on drugs” is a war on poor people and a war on people of color, and that we should treat substance abuse primarily as a public health issue rather than a criminal justice issue.Secret Stash - Register to access
Yeah, Committee Chairs have the sole authority to set the agenda. And, get this, most bills go through 2 committees in the House, then they have to come to a vote on the House floor (and the Speaker has sole authority to set the agenda on the floor)…then the process starts over in the Senate…and then Governor can always veto a bill So, on most bills, there are 7 individuals who can, single-handedly, kill the bill:
- The Chair of the House policy committee
- The Chair of the House fiscal committee
- The Speaker of the House
- The Chair of the Senate policy committee
- The Chair of the Senate fiscal committee
- The Senate Majority Leader
- The Governor
Everyone else could support the bill, but if any one of these seven people is opposed, then it won’t pass. (although we can override a Governor’s veto with a 2/3rd vote of the House and Senate).
This is not to mention the need to get a majority vote in every committee and a majority vote on the floor of the House and Senate. It amazes me sometimes that we get anything done.
Am I concerned about the fate of the bill? Yeah, but I’ve been at this long enough to recognize the value of patience and persistence. I feel like I’ve started a discussion among my colleagues (thanks, in part, to the many awesome people who have been emailing their legislators)…and that this is the start of a longer process to bring drug policy reform onto the legislative agenda for serious debate and action. It’s been a long time since legislation has been introduced on this topic (other than relating to medical marijuana), and this is the first step.
The best thing to do probably is to get the word out for people to contact their legislators. My legislative colleagues need to understand that people actually DO care about this issue. Encourage people who email their legislators to focus on the cost savings to our courts, and the time it frees up for police to focus on more dangerous crimes. I personally feel that the so-called “war on drugs” is a war on poor people and a war on people of color, and that we should treat substance abuse primarily as a public health issue rather than a criminal justice issue.Secret Stash - Register to access
Sorry that the wheels of democracy turn slowly. I’ll do what I can. We needed to start somewhere, and the introduction of the bill was that start…
Dave Upthegrove
Maybe you could use this as fiscal ammo. The drug warriors always want you to ‘think of the children!!!’ Maybe the state should think of them when they cut funding for programs like these but it’s full steam ahead for incarcerating citizens:
Washington Poison Center hotline may go dead
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28883214
SEATTLE – State budget cuts could cause the death of the Washington Poison Center’s toll-free hotline.
The center is a private service that relies on state and federal funds. Gov. Chris Gregoire has proposed cutting its funding from $4 million to $2 million a year.
Story continues below ?advertisement | your ad here
It’s an amount the center says it can’t absorb.
“Without that funding, we won’t be able to continue to pay the specialists that man the phone,” said Jim Williams, the center’s executive director.
The spokesperson for the Washington Poison Control says if the budget cuts are approved, they’ll likely have to end their hotline service at the end of the year.
Gina Frazzini is a mother of two and has seen the inside of her pediatrician’s office plenty of times. Not long ago, she was able to avoid an extra trip there by calling the state hotline.
“I think someone ate a bunch of toothpaste and had to see if too much fluoride was … what would happen,” said Gina.
“They told me things to watch for. They reassured me it was probably fine, and some tips for the future.”
Dr. Sherri Zorn says having the 24-hour hotline is a tremendous asset, not only to her patients, but to pediatricians and emergency room doctors across the state. Roughly 20 percent of the calls to the hotline come from health care professionals.
“They have access to more information than I possibly could, even if I spent three hours researching it on my computer. And fact is, if someone’s really been poisoned by something, you only have minutes to hours to make the correct diagnosis and to treat them,” said Zorn.
Washington Poison Control fields about 250 calls a day, the vast majority of which are children.
The call center also advises about adults and pets who have ingested strange things.