Idaho bill to implement minimum fine for marijuana possession heads to Senate floor
Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, speaks to the House State Affairs committee at the Idaho State Capitol building on Jan. 11, 2023. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)
A bill to implement a $300 minimum fine for adults convicted of possessing three ounces or less of marijuana is headed to the Idaho Senate floor for a vote.
The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee on Monday voted to advance House Bill 7 to the Senate floor, putting it one step closer to becoming law after already passing the Idaho House last week in a 54-14 vote. The committee voted along party lines, with its two Democrats, Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, and Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, voting against it.
Its sponsor, Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, said Idaho remains one of the states with the strictest laws against marijuana usage, and a mandatory minimum fine for small amounts of marijuana would work as a deterrent for its usage.
'A $300 fine is not too much if you can afford to buy this marijuana and concentrate,' Skaug said. 'Every dollar spent on pot by someone is not spent on food, clothing, school supplies, real medicine or housing.'
The committee advanced the bill with a recommendation that it pass. House Bill 7 may be voted on by the Idaho Senate in the coming days or weeks.
Fourteen people testified before the committee, most of whom supported the bill — including representatives from law enforcement and conservative groups such as the Idaho Freedom Foundation and the Idaho Family Policy Center.
Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford spoke in favor of the legislation, sharing that he believes a $300 minimum fine will remind people from outside of Idaho that possessing marijuana in the Gem State will have more repercussions.
'Now we have surrounding states that have legalized marijuana in some form or fashion,' Clifford said. 'I think if we're going to keep taking the stance that we're hard on illegal drugs, we probably need to up our game a little bit, and this is a good way to do that.'
Other testimony came from advocates for medical marijuana, who voiced their opposition to the bill. This includes Jeremy Kitzhaber, a veteran who is disabled who previously served in the U.S. Air Force as a civil engineer and first sergeant. Kitzhaber has consistently opposed this legislation, arguing it would harm his fellow veteran community.
'This bill would say that an edible gummy is a minimum fine, yet drunk driving, exposing yourself in public or even smacking your spouse, would still not impose a minimum fine,' Kitzhaber told the committee.
Dr. Mark McConnell, a critical care physician who works with veterans in Boise, also spoke in opposition to the bill. McConnell said at least 30% of the clients he admits to the hospital regularly use marijuana.
Physicians cannot prescribe medical marijuana to patients in Idaho, McConnell said, so patients are forced to break the law to access medical marijuana, even though it is a safer alternative to opioids and Valium.
'I understand the political realities of politicians appearing tough on crime, but I believe that you will be hurting the wrong people if you pass this legislation. My veterans will suffer because of this legislation,' McConnell said.
Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Viola, pushed back against the medical marijuana arguments.
'I'm not unsympathetic to people who have medical issues and find some relief with marijuana, but as a retired police officer, I too have seen the effects of marijuana,' Foreman said. 'It's bad business. We need to do whatever we can to keep it out of our great state.'
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
38 minutes ago
Minnesota budget deal cuts health care for adults who entered the US illegally
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Adults living in the U.S. illegally will be excluded from a state-run health care program under an overall budget deal that the closely divided Minnesota Legislature convened to pass in a special session Monday. Repealing a 2023 state law that made those immigrants eligible for the MinnesotaCare program for the working poor was a priority for Republicans in the negotiations that produced the budget agreement. The Legislature is split 101-100, with the House tied and Democrats holding just a one-seat majority in the Senate, and the health care compromise was a bitter pill for Democrats to accept. The change is expected to affect about 17,000 residents. After an emotional near four-hour debate, the House aroved the bill 68-65. Under the agreement, the top House Democratic leader, Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, was the only member of her caucus to vote yes. The bill then went to the Senate, where it passed 37-30. Democratic Majority Leader Erin Murphy, of St. Paul, called it 'a wound on the soul of Minnesota,' but kept her promise to vote yes as part of the deal, calling it "among the most painful votes I've ever taken." Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who insisted on maintaining eligibility for children who aren't in the country legally, has promised to sign the legislation, and all 13 other bills scheduled for action in the special session, to complete a $66 billion, two-year budget that will take effect July 1. 'This is 100% about the GOP campaign against immigrants,' said House Democratic Floor Leader Jamie Long, of Minneapolis, who voted no. 'From Trump's renewed travel ban announced this week, to his effort to expel those with protected status, to harassing students here to study, to disproportionate military and law enforcement responses that we've seen from Minneapolis to L.A., this all comes back to attacking immigrants and the name of dividing us.' But GOP Rep. Jeff Backer, of Browns Valley, the lead author of the bill, said taxpayers shouldn't have to subsidize health care for people who aren't in the country legally. Backer said California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has proposed freezing enrollment for immigrants without legal status in a similar state-funded program and that Illinois' Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, has proposed cutting a similar program. He said residents can still buy health insurance on the private market regardless of their immigration status. 'This is about being fiscally responsible,' Backer said. Enrollment by people who entered the country illegally in MinnesotaCare has run triple the initial projections, which Republicans said could have pushed the costs over $600 million over the next four years. Critics said the change won't save any money because those affected will forego preventive care and need much more expensive care later. 'People don't suddenly stop getting sick when they don't have insurance, but they do put off seeking care until a condition gets bad enough to require a visit to the emergency room, increasing overall health care costs for everyone,' Bernie Burnham, president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, told reporters at a news conference organized by the critics. Walz and legislative leaders agreed on the broad framework for the budget over four weeks ago, contrasting the bipartisan cooperation that produced it with the deep divisions at the federal level in Washington. But with the tie in the House and the razor-thin Senate Democratic majority, few major policy initiatives got off the ground before the regular session ended May 19. Leaders announced Friday that the details were settled and that they had enough votes to pass everything in the budget package.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Planning to vote in New Jersey's June 10 primary? This is what you need to know
The New Jersey primary election is under way. Voters should know their options before heading to the polls. This year's gubernatorial primary will be held June 10, and it is a packed field for the top spot on both sides of the aisle. There are 11 candidates in all — six Democrats and five Republicans. They are vying to represent their respective party in the race for governor this November. There are also contested local primary elections and some contested races for seats in the New Jersey Assembly, the lower house of the Legislature. It's also the first primary to be held without the county line ballot design, so voters will be able to familiarize themselves with the new design with the sample ballots they're set to receive by mail in the coming days. The block ballot design, which is used in all 49 other states, will replace the county line which traditionally gave candidates endorsed by the county party preferred ballot placement, and an edge in their efforts. It was dismantled by a federal judge last year. New Jersey has what's considered a semi-closed primary because all voters have to declare a party affiliation to participate, but unaffiliated voters can do so at the polls. Unaffiliated voters can register while voting in personon Election Day for either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. After an unaffiliated voter casts an in-person vote in the Democratic or Republican Party primary election, the voter will be affiliated with that political party going forward. The voter can change affiliation by completing, signing and returning a change of party affiliation form to the municipal clerk or county commissioner of registration. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot has passed and early in-person voting has concluded. Election Day for this year's primary will be June 10. Polls are open June 10 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. That is the deadline to postmark a mail-in ballot for it to be eligible. Mail-in ballots can also be delivered to County Boards of Election and authorized ballot drop boxes by 8 p.m. on June 10. Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@ This article originally appeared on NJ primary election 2025: How to vote on June 10 date
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
A Wichita City Council candidate taped campaign material in City Hall. Can she do that?
In our Reality Check stories, Wichita Eagle journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Story idea? tips@ LaWanda DeShazer, a candidate for the open District 1 seat on the Wichita City Council, posted — then deleted — a campaign video she taped in City Hall. The taping violated a city policy that prohibits any type of campaigning inside city-owned buildings. The video was taped on June 4 and posted on Facebook later in the week to promote DeShazer's campaign launch event that weekend. While it was being taped, a Wichita Eagle reporter saw a member of City Hall staff ask DeShazer to not tape inside the building. The video had been deleted by Monday morning, after the event and after an Eagle reporter questioned DeShazer about it. 'There's a lot of new people running for office. … We don't know these nuances,' DeShazer said. Democrats crowd into race for open Wichita City Council seat. Who's running? The city said the policy that prohibits campaigning on public property has no enforcement mechanism. 'The City focuses on education and we would share the policy with candidates,' city spokesperson Megan Lovely said. A separate state statute prohibits campaigning in city-owned buildings through means of distributing literature and campaign materials unless other candidates have the opportunity to do so. But it doesn't explicitly prohibit filming campaign material on city property. People found in violation of the state statute are subject to a $500 fine or a month in jail. DeShazer said she thought her video being filmed in City Hall was OK after current District 1 council member Brandon Johnson posted a video shot outside McAfee Pool endorsing another candidate, Joseph Shepard. Johnson was wearing a city of Wichita shirt in the video. 'The endorsement video featuring Councilmember Brandon Johnson was filmed outside McAfee Pool, a city-operated entity. In doing so, we remained in compliance with both the Wichita City Code and City Policy #20,' Shepard said in a statement. 'Our filming respected these guidelines. We ensured there was no disruption to pedestrian or vehicle access and remained outside the facility's fence line.' Johnson backed Shepard's statement, saying Shepard reviewed city code before filming the endorsement video. 'It is unfortunate that Ms. DeShazer is suggesting that because she did not follow municipal code and Council policy, that one of her opponents did the same,' Johnson said in a statement. 'The fact that he and his team went the additional steps of reviewing guidelines is yet another reason he should be the Council Member for District 1.' Chris Pumpelly, who's also running for the seat, said he didn't find the video to be inappropriate since DeShazer is a private citizen. But he added already-elected officials must be held to a higher standard. 'The voters of District 1 are smart enough to know the City isn't endorsing a candidate in this race, but it's important as an elected official to make that line VERY clear in all your actions,' Pumpelly said in a statement to The Eagle. Other candidates in the crowded race to replace the term-limited Johnson are Aujanae Bennett and Darryl Carrington. A primary election is set for Aug. 5, with the top two candidates moving forward to the general election on Nov. 4. DeShazer said more education should be provided to candidates about campaigning when they file. 'I'm not trying to violate rules because I want to make things better for people, not worse,' she said.
