The newly re-elected governor of Wisconsin is standing by his promise to include marijuana legalization in the state’s budget plan early in the new year.
The next day, Governor Tony Evers (D) held a press conference to address the issue of cannabis legalization, one day after voters in several municipalities and counties across Wisconsin voted non-binding advisory questions on their local ballots in favor of legalization.
When asked about his upcoming budget proposal for 2023-2025, Evers replied, “[lawmakers] will get a chance to talk about that and see if that’s something we want to do.” This implies that marijuana legalization will be a part of the plan.
The governor proposed legalization in 2021, decriminalization in 2019, and medical cannabis in 2018, but these reforms have been rejected by the Republican-controlled legislature, according to an article in Marijuana Moment.
Legislators in Wisconsin have consistently ignored the will of the people. Nonbinding legalization ballot initiatives have consistently been supported by large majorities of voters in the state’s most populous counties for years
The majority of voters in the state (69% in a recent poll) agree that marijuana should be decriminalized. Nonetheless, Republican politicians have blocked every attempt at legalization, despite widespread support.
Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R) has said legalization is “likely” to happen at some point, and some state lawmakers have filed bills to legalize cannabis for adult use, but the legislature has so far failed to pass even more modest proposals like decriminalization or the legalization of medical cannabis.
