Rep. Condotta’s take on the special session
In a third attempt to get comprehensive marijuana market reform in place the House of Representatives passed House Bill 2136 today.
The Legislature has been working to put reforms and regulations in place since voters passed I-502 in November 2012.
As the lead Republican on the House Commerce and Gaming Committee, Rep. Cary Condotta has been involved in the negotiations from the beginning.
However, Condotta believes this legislation isn’t the answer.
“When the voters of Washington passed I-502 there were three main issues we needed to address to ensure a viable system was in place. We need to make sure the tax structure is fair, we were providing the local governments enough funding to handle enforcement and regulatory issues, and zoning and preemption issues provided some balance,” said Condotta, R-East Wenatchee. “Unfortunately, this bill doesn’t address any of the main objectives necessary to put some sideboards and regulatory reforms in place. This legislation represents a gift to the cartels and the illegal market. Job number one with this bill is not to maximize revenue but to minimize criminal activity. This version achieves neither and potentially ends the viability of the entire program. We are right back where we started.”
The measure now goes to the Senate for a third time for further consideration.
For more information about Rep. Condotta, visit: www.representativecarycondotta.com.
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Rep. Condotta’s media:
Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
461 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
