Gov Evers backs fed marijuana banking bill

Yet another sign that Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) is championing marijuana reform comes in the form of a letter to Congressional Leaders urging them approve the SAFE Banking Act.

What has Evers done?

Governor Tony Evers (D)
Governor Tony Evers

Governor Evers has proposed everything he could and presented it to the State Republicans in several ways and they have all been rejected. Evers could call for an Executive Order, but the Republicans would gavel the session in and out before we could even light a joint down in Madison (where pot is basically legal to consume).

Decriminalization of personal possession and allowing medical marijuana were major campaign theme for Tony Evers. He included a dose of a state wide referendum for recreational marijuana for good measure. After the first budget cycle it was clear, the Republican Caucus has taken a just say no stance to marijuana reform.

The Republicans control both houses and have made it a public fact that they are going to put the least amount of legislation on the Governor desk to sign into law. Republicans will do this so they can say in the 2022 election cycle that Governor Evers was the Governor who signed the least bills into law.

Evers continues to make sure cannabis reform is a high priority.

In fact, Evers went onto do more his first term then his campaign promises on cannabis reform.

I think he will most likely veto the Republican attempt to increase penalties for cannabis concentrates made with butane. The BHO legislation has already advanced through both committees, passing with party line votes.

Governor Evers also signaled to the Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Network Senior Legislative Advisor that he supports a review or updated version to the 2016 Report “Marijuana in Wisconsin” by the Marijuana Ad Hoc Committee of the Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (SCAODA).

What have Republicans done?

Under Republican watch, all Governor Evers cannabis plans and also many bi-partisan stand alone bills were rejected in the 2019-2020 legislative .

Governor Evers countered with including taxation of cannabis in the 2021-22 budget proposal which was removed entirely by Republicans.

Stand alone legislation for this current session have again stalled in Republican controlled committees and Republicans have yet to offer their own version or co-sponsor a recreational marijuana bill.

Although a few individual Republicans are speaking out against their Caucus, the Republican Caucus is to take the sole blame (or credit they like to call it) for stopping marijuana law reform from happening.

Republicans control both houses and flow of legislation.

Republicans have made it a public fact that they are going to put the least amount of legislation on the Governor’s desk for him to sign into law. Republicans will do this so they can say in the 2022 election cycle that Tony Evers was the Governor who signed the least bills into law.

What is Evers doing now?

In his latest move as a cannabis warrior, Gov Tony Evers joins nineteen (19) other Democrat and four (4) Republican Governors in authoring a letter to Congress. Calling the matter a

“public safety issue that Congress has a responsibility to address.”

The letter does add

“The SAFE Banking Act has now passed the U.S. House of Representatives five times but the Senate has never voted on the measure,”

The SAFE Act, which shields banks that service state-legal cannabis businesses from federal regulators’ penalties, has been introduced in every Congress since 2013 by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO).

What can you do?

Urge Wisconsin law makers to make marijuana a priority today! Get involved in the political process. Vote! Sign and share our letter campaign. Volunteer to help with our efforts.

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