Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Massachusetts still doesn't have a state budget for fiscal year 2018 or the rewrite of marijuana laws that lawmakers pledged to get to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk by the end of June.
A temporary state budget is in place, set to last through the month of July, as lawmakers continue to work behind closed doors to finalize the budget for fiscal year 2018, which started on July 1, 2017 and ends Junes 2018. The key problem for them is the initial budget proposals were built on tax revenue assumptions that are now viewed as too rosy.
Lawmakers are also working on a rewrite of the marijuana legalization law approved by 1.8 million voters last November. On the House side, legislators are interested in repealing and replacing the voter-approved law, while on the Senate side, legislators say they want minor tweaks instead.
Sources on Wednesday told the State House News Service, an independent wire covering politics and policy on Beacon Hill, that the marijuana rewrite and deliberations over the state budget have become linked as talks on the two separate proposals drag on.
That prompted House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, to issue a statement telling the House negotiators working on the marijuana rewrite to suspend talks until the state budget is done. That will "remove any distractions," he said, adding that the budget "can and should be" sent to the governor's desk this week.
Budget and marijuana negotiations were "never linked" by House members, DeLeo added.
Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, issued his own statement.
"The mischief makers are once again at work," he said, without naming the mischief makers.
"The Senate has not and will not link the budget and marijuana negotiations. Period," he added. "The Senate is fully committed to continuing negotiations on both the budget and marijuana legislation simultaneously."
After voters broadly legalized recreational marijuana use for adults 21 years and older, lawmakers rushed to the governor a bill implementing a six-month delay, meaning retail pot shops would open July 2018 instead of January 2018. Baker said the delay was necessary in order to rework the marijuana law.
"I have no doubt that the bill will get to my desk by the end of the month and that the issues we've been talking about for months with respect to governance and potency labeling and packaging and local control and all the rest will be dealt with," Baker told the State House News Service on June 19. "I have no doubt."
He was wrong.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Blowing past deadlines, Massachusetts lawmakers still at odds over state budget, marijuana law rewrite | masslive.com
Author: Gintautas Dumcius
Contact: Contact Us - MassLive Media Solutions
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Massachusetts Local News, Breaking News, Sports and Weather - MassLive.com
A temporary state budget is in place, set to last through the month of July, as lawmakers continue to work behind closed doors to finalize the budget for fiscal year 2018, which started on July 1, 2017 and ends Junes 2018. The key problem for them is the initial budget proposals were built on tax revenue assumptions that are now viewed as too rosy.
Lawmakers are also working on a rewrite of the marijuana legalization law approved by 1.8 million voters last November. On the House side, legislators are interested in repealing and replacing the voter-approved law, while on the Senate side, legislators say they want minor tweaks instead.
Sources on Wednesday told the State House News Service, an independent wire covering politics and policy on Beacon Hill, that the marijuana rewrite and deliberations over the state budget have become linked as talks on the two separate proposals drag on.
That prompted House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, to issue a statement telling the House negotiators working on the marijuana rewrite to suspend talks until the state budget is done. That will "remove any distractions," he said, adding that the budget "can and should be" sent to the governor's desk this week.
Budget and marijuana negotiations were "never linked" by House members, DeLeo added.
Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, issued his own statement.
"The mischief makers are once again at work," he said, without naming the mischief makers.
"The Senate has not and will not link the budget and marijuana negotiations. Period," he added. "The Senate is fully committed to continuing negotiations on both the budget and marijuana legislation simultaneously."
After voters broadly legalized recreational marijuana use for adults 21 years and older, lawmakers rushed to the governor a bill implementing a six-month delay, meaning retail pot shops would open July 2018 instead of January 2018. Baker said the delay was necessary in order to rework the marijuana law.
"I have no doubt that the bill will get to my desk by the end of the month and that the issues we've been talking about for months with respect to governance and potency labeling and packaging and local control and all the rest will be dealt with," Baker told the State House News Service on June 19. "I have no doubt."
He was wrong.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Blowing past deadlines, Massachusetts lawmakers still at odds over state budget, marijuana law rewrite | masslive.com
Author: Gintautas Dumcius
Contact: Contact Us - MassLive Media Solutions
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Massachusetts Local News, Breaking News, Sports and Weather - MassLive.com
