LRB-2457 gets Assembly bill number, committee assignment

Posted: August 25, 2017 by Gary Storck
Category: Legalization

Rep. Melissa Sargent's cannabis legalization proposal 2017 LRB-2457 has been formally introduced as Assembly Bill 482 as of Aug. 24, and assigned to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. (PDF of AB 482)

So far, in addition to Rep. Sargent, AB 482 has 14 assembly cosponsors and 3 state senate sponsors, all Democrats: Representatives Melissa Sargent, Tod Ohnstad, Chris Taylor, David Crowley, Josh Zepnick, Jimmy Anderson, Amanda Stuck, Fred Kessler, Sondy Pope, Terese Berceau, JoCasta Zamarripa, Jonathan Brostoff, Christine Sinicki, Lisa Subeck and David Bowen, cosponsored by Senators LaTonya Johnson, Lena Taylor and Chris Larson.

2017-AB 482 front page

While majority Republicans have so far been unwilling to cosponsor or hold hearings on Democratic-sponsored cannabis bills, the committee AB 482 has been assigned to is also chaired by a former law enforcement officer hostile to legalization, Rep. John Spiros (R-Marshfield). The vice-chair is Rep. Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum), who although the lead sponsor of bipartisan industrial hemp legislation AB 183, is unlikely to warm to a hearing on anything stronger than CBD. Rep. Andre Jacque (R-De Pere), an outspoken opponent, is also a member. The committee's 4 Democrats include Reps. Crowley, Zamarripa and Kessler, who are cosponsors of AB 482 with Milwaukee Rep. Evan Goyke rounding out the caucus.

Cannabadger will be following this bill and its senate companion bill, which should soon also have a bill number.