Email Blast Sent to Supporters on May 23, 2017. Subscribe!

Friends,

Governor Scott has one day left to decide what do with S.22, the Marijuana legalization bill. The Senate sent the bill to Scott last Thursday starting a countdown that ends at close of business tomorrow.

The Governor has three options:

1. Sign the bill into law, making Vermont the first state in the country to legalize marijuana through a legislative process.
2. Veto the bill, triggering a review in the upcoming June 21 legislative veto session. The bill passed the House 79-66 and is unlikely to garner enough support to override a veto this year.
3. Do nothing, and allow the bill to become law. This is the political middle-ground stance. It might appease his base by not expressing outright support for the bill, but also not draw outrage from legalization advocates.

What does this law do anyway?
The House and Senate collided early this year on two different models for legalization. The Senate supported a tax and regulate model similar to Colorado, while the House preferred a home-grown model like Washington DC’s. The House version won out in the end – legalizing possession of up to one ounce of Marijuana and home growing of two mature plants, however the Senate did establish a commission to investigate a tax and regulate model and report back to the Legislature in January.

Property Taxes
Because the legislature failed to act this year on our proposal for $350 million in savings for Vermont property taxpayers, we have extended our fundraising campaign to reach legislators over the summer.

Legislative Victory
We claimed victory last week after successfully completing a four year legislative campaign to make Vermont the 48^th state to adopt ethics laws for public officials.

There was some concern that the bill would not make the end-of-session deadline, but legislators acted quickly after a compromise was worked out between the House and Senate Versions of the bill. The final vote in the House was 120-24. We posted a list of legislators who voted against it on our website.

This has been a signature issue for us, we view government ethics, transparency, and accountability as the foundation for a prosperous Vermont. This is an exciting win for us and sets the stage for future initiatives.

Stay Vigilant,

Benjamin Kinsley
Executive Director
Campaign for Vermont Prosperity

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