Title:
Virginians: Ask the House Courts of Justice committee to support HB 1443
Message:
Great news! Virginia Delegate Harvey Morgan has proposed a
bill to decriminalize marijuana possession. HB 1443
would replace criminal penalties for simple marijuana possession with a civil
fine of $500. Virginia’s legislative session begins Wednesday and only lasts 30
days. The work that we do, right now, will mean a lot!
We can’t get a floor vote on this sensible bill unless the
House Courts of Justice committee first hears testimony on and then passes the
bill. Please
e-mail the members of the Courts of Justice committee and ask them to do
the right thing by approving HB 1443.
Also, Lennice Werth of Virginians Against Drug Violence and
Devon Tackels of Students for Sensible
Drug Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University have been working very hard
organizing a statewide Lobby Day for
Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 17. On that day, from 8:30
a.m.-1:30 p.m., Virginians will descend on the Capitol in Richmond, dressed
professionally and armed with talking points, to explain to legislators why
passage of this bill is so important for the Commonwealth. I urge you to use
your day off and participate to make your voice heard.
You can e-mail Devon at vcussdp@gmail.com and Lennice at lennice@hifitown.com for more specific information. Here is
a helpful
background document with information on the bill and lobbying tips prepared
by Devon.
Please
also e-mail your own state delegate to ask him or her to support this
sensible bill, which will save voters money and allow corrections and court
resources to focus on real crime. Use your own words, be concise, and be
polite. You
can also call your legislators and ask them to support decriminalization of
marijuana in Virginia.
Thank you for supporting the
Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this on so that even more Virginians can
participate in reform.
