Title:
N.Y. initiative, medical marijuana bills on the move
Message:
New Yorkers could get to vote on marijuana policy
initiatives!
In exciting news, S.
709, a constitutional amendment to create a New York initiative and
referendums process, passed the Senate on June 7 with the Senate
Majority Leader Dean Skelos’ support. It is now in the Assembly. If it
passes there, both chambers of the 2013 legislature must re-pass it, and it
would appear on the 2014 ballot. If New York became an initiative state, voters
would almost surely circumvent the legislative deadlock and pass medical
marijuana legislation, and one day, consider replacing marijuana
prohibition with a regulated system.
Please call your
assemblymember to urge support for S. 709 to give the people a direct say in
their laws.
S. 709 would allow popular voting on ballot initiatives and
referendums to approve or reject existing statutes. Signatures equal to five
percent of the statewide votes cast in the last gubernatorial election would be
required, including 5,000 signatures from three-fifths of congressional
districts.
Also, A.
7347, Asm. Dick Gottfried’s medical marijuana bill, passed the Assembly
Codes Committee yesterday and passed the Health Committee in May. You can email your legislators in support. In past years, similar legislation passed the
full Assembly, but never received a Senate floor vote.
