TRENTON, N.J. – There’s a deal for legal recreational pot in place between Governor Phil Murphy and the Democrat legislative leadership, Save Jerseyans, and a vote on the historic measure could come as soon as this month, but sources in Trenton also say the votes still aren’t quite there for final passage.
One undecided legislator — state Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13) — says he wants four changes to the proposed legislation. But he isn’t interested in pork…
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Murphy wants to get pot bill done and is short votes, but says he’s not a big believer in “transactional politics.” Lawmakers say that’s how the process works https://t.co/kRukTGI2e7 pic.twitter.com/zlorLgm9ei
— Katherine Landergan (@klandergan) March 16, 2019
To be clear,the things I want aren’t pork for my district or pet projects.They’re things that will improve the bill,address legitimate concerns of those opposed &provide a fiscally responsible accounting of every tax $ generated.The way to “buy” my vote, is to give me good gov’t. https://t.co/RtdxsjXsW8
— Declan O'Scanlon (@declanoscanlon) March 16, 2019
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Criticism of the current bill includes a $42 per ounce ‘weight’ tax.
“The current deal will not meet revenue projections, will not eliminate the black market and will empower the corrupt insiders in Trenton to borrow and spend more of our money, further impoverishing our state and digging us deeper in debt,” opined Bill Spadea of NJ 101.5 earlier this week.
Another obstacle to legalized weed in New Jersey is coming from outside of Trenton as a large number of towns consider barring the sale of marijuana inside their boundaries.
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