Robert Celt
New Member
People around the State Capitol last year knew them simply as "the moms."
The cadre of mothers, often with chronically sick children in tow, made emotional and compelling pleas for a bill legalizing medical marijuana in Nebraska. It was an impressive citizens campaign by a group formally known as Nebraska Families 4 Medical Cannabis.
The bill, carried over from last year, will likely come up for a critical second round of debate in the next month or so. The moms and their kids will be back at the Capitol.
But this year, they hired some help.
The group agreed to pay $40,000 to Radcliffe & Associates, one of the leading lobbying firms in the state. Shari Lawlor of Valley, one of the group's members, said that if the legislation fails, medical cannabis
supporters intend to launch a voter petition drive that could cost about $1.5 million.
"Forty-thousand dollars isn't all that much compared to $1.5 million," she said.
Whether or not the medical marijuana bill passes, the competition for votes has already generated economic activity around the Capitol.
In an effort to swing votes for the bill, a medical cannabis manufacturer in Minnesota has paid $25,000 to hire Heartland Strategy Group, a firm with offices in Lincoln, Omaha and Washington.
Among those working to defeat passage of the bill are the Nebraska Medical Association and the Nebraska County Attorneys Association. The medical association employs Mueller Robak while the county attorneys have hired Nowka & Edwards. Both are among the leading firms in the state.
The lobbyists will represent the two groups on a number of matters this year, so an amount devoted just to work on the medical cannabis bill was not available.
The lobbying activity is a sign of just how closely contested the issue is expected to be.
The fact that medical cannabis has even a fighting chance in a conservative state like Nebraska seems remarkable.
When State Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue introduced Legislative Bill 643 last year, the proposal seemed to be a long shot. But people with intractable, debilitating illnesses showed up en masse and made their case during a grueling public hearing. The bill advanced out of committee and through the first round of debate on a vote of 27-12.
On the second round, however, opponents threatened a filibuster. With time running out on the session, Garrett tabled his bill. He will prioritize LB643 this year, which ensures it will come up for debate.
To win support from other conservatives worried that medical marijuana would find its way into the hands of teens wanting to get high, Garrett patterned his bill after the program in Minnesota, which has one of the most restrictive laws of the 23 states that allow the drug.
For example, if Garrett's bill were to pass, Nebraska would be only the third medical marijuana state to prohibit patients from smoking the drug it could be administered only in pills, oils or a vaporizer.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Nebraska Lobbyists To Help Push For Medical Marijuana
Author: Joe Duggan
Contact: The Grand Island Independent (found at bottom of page)
Photo Credit: None found
Website: The Grand Island Independent
The cadre of mothers, often with chronically sick children in tow, made emotional and compelling pleas for a bill legalizing medical marijuana in Nebraska. It was an impressive citizens campaign by a group formally known as Nebraska Families 4 Medical Cannabis.
The bill, carried over from last year, will likely come up for a critical second round of debate in the next month or so. The moms and their kids will be back at the Capitol.
But this year, they hired some help.
The group agreed to pay $40,000 to Radcliffe & Associates, one of the leading lobbying firms in the state. Shari Lawlor of Valley, one of the group's members, said that if the legislation fails, medical cannabis
supporters intend to launch a voter petition drive that could cost about $1.5 million.
"Forty-thousand dollars isn't all that much compared to $1.5 million," she said.
Whether or not the medical marijuana bill passes, the competition for votes has already generated economic activity around the Capitol.
In an effort to swing votes for the bill, a medical cannabis manufacturer in Minnesota has paid $25,000 to hire Heartland Strategy Group, a firm with offices in Lincoln, Omaha and Washington.
Among those working to defeat passage of the bill are the Nebraska Medical Association and the Nebraska County Attorneys Association. The medical association employs Mueller Robak while the county attorneys have hired Nowka & Edwards. Both are among the leading firms in the state.
The lobbyists will represent the two groups on a number of matters this year, so an amount devoted just to work on the medical cannabis bill was not available.
The lobbying activity is a sign of just how closely contested the issue is expected to be.
The fact that medical cannabis has even a fighting chance in a conservative state like Nebraska seems remarkable.
When State Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue introduced Legislative Bill 643 last year, the proposal seemed to be a long shot. But people with intractable, debilitating illnesses showed up en masse and made their case during a grueling public hearing. The bill advanced out of committee and through the first round of debate on a vote of 27-12.
On the second round, however, opponents threatened a filibuster. With time running out on the session, Garrett tabled his bill. He will prioritize LB643 this year, which ensures it will come up for debate.
To win support from other conservatives worried that medical marijuana would find its way into the hands of teens wanting to get high, Garrett patterned his bill after the program in Minnesota, which has one of the most restrictive laws of the 23 states that allow the drug.
For example, if Garrett's bill were to pass, Nebraska would be only the third medical marijuana state to prohibit patients from smoking the drug it could be administered only in pills, oils or a vaporizer.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Nebraska Lobbyists To Help Push For Medical Marijuana
Author: Joe Duggan
Contact: The Grand Island Independent (found at bottom of page)
Photo Credit: None found
Website: The Grand Island Independent
