I used to enjoy tracking where the votes and money were represented when committees met on high-profile bills. It was fun to see how much money committee members got in contributions from industries showing interest in the subjects up for discussion.
I noticed a variation of that with the Marijuana bill (SB30) that was up Monday and will be back tomorrow (Wednesday) in a meeting of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.
Money would be hard to track here, but it’s interesting to see how the votes fell for the committee members. If people are truly listening to the voters, they will closely follow the structure of the initiative that passed in November.
Of the committee members, five of the seven House members were elected from districts where the proposition passed. Four of the five Senators are in the same position. To do anything negative on such a volatile and tight subject would risk the member’s future in the lawmaking business.
Here are the votes for Prop 2:
House For Against Senate For Against
LeDoux 2225 1860 McGuire 7508 7397
Keller 3866 3737 Coghill 8252 6406
Millett 3621 3626 Costello 8191 7686
Lynn 3661 4479 Micciche 7387 8339
Foster 3293 2490 Wielechowski 5769 4890
Gruenberg 3544 3030 37107 34618
Claman 4391 3699
24607 22921
This is no more than something to make watching a committee a little more interesting. Seeing people who are following the will of their voters by voting against their own preferences is good democracy. Of course, this presumes that no one would ever try to water down the proposition that voters passed.
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AKJ3 