POLL: Majority of Marylanders Support Marijuana Legalization // PLUS: Montgomery Democrats Rally for Minimum Wage Hike

Ahead of the 2014 legislative session, Maryland Juice has been tracking the activities of advocacy groups and activists in the state. It seems clear that there is a lot of organizing happening behind two policy areas: ending the War on Drugs and increasing the minimum wage. Below we provide updates on both issues, including a new poll on marijuana reform and coverage of a press conference yesterday on raising the state's minimum wage.

JUICE #1: STRONG MAJORITY OF MARYLAND VOTERS SUPPORT MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION - This morning, Maryland Juice received the following press release from the ACLU and the Marijuana Policy Project announcing new poll results showing a majority of Maryland voters support taxing and regulating marijuana in the same manner we treat alcohol sales. Meanwhile, a supermajority support removing jail time as a penalty for possession (details below):

PRESS RELEASE

Poll: Majority of Maryland Voters Support Regulating and Taxing Marijuana; Only 38% Opposed

More than two-thirds support removing criminal penalties for marijuana possession and replacing them with a civil fine similar to a parking ticket

Statements below from the ACLU of Maryland and the Marijuana Policy Project

BALTIMORE — A majority of Maryland voters (53%) support making marijuana legal for adults and regulating it like alcohol, according to a survey conducted last weekend by Public Policy Polling. Only 38% said they were opposed.

The poll also found that more than two-thirds (68%) support removing criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replacing them with a civil offense punishable by a fine of up to $100 with no possibility of jail time. Only 26% said they were opposed. Under current Maryland law, it is a criminal offense for a person to possess a small amount of marijuana, and he or she can be sentenced to up to 90 days in jail and fined up to $500.

The survey of 678 randomly selected Maryland voters was conducted September 27-29 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8%. The full results are available at http://www.aclu-md.org/press_room/147.

Statement from Rachelle Yeung, legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project:

"Most Maryland voters recognize that marijuana prohibition has failed and believe it is time to adopt a more sensible approach. By regulating marijuana like alcohol we can take marijuana sales out of the underground market and put them behind the counters of legitimate, tax-paying businesses. Marijuana is objectively less harmful than alcohol, and it is time to treat it that way."

Statement from Sara Love, public policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland:

"Our current marijuana prohibition policies are grossly ineffective. It's time to take a commonsense approach to public safety and criminal justice. We should not be wasting resources arresting people simply for possessing marijuana. Enforcement of these misguided marijuana laws is having a disproportionate and detrimental impact on communities of color. A majority of voters agree it is time for a change."

# # #

POLL: Majority of Maryland Voters Support Marijuana Legalization

JUICE #2: MONTGOMERY COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR MARYLAND MINIMUM WAGE HIKE -Yesterday, advocates supporting a minimum wage hike in Maryland gathered in Takoma Park for a press conference announcing support from a range of elected officials. Speakers at the Raise Maryland event included County Executive Ike Leggett, Sen. Jamie Raskin, Del. Anne Kaiser, and County Councilmembers Marc Elrich and Valerie Ervin. Other attendees included Del. Sheila Hixson, and representatives from CASA, Jews United for Justice, Progressive Maryland, AFSCME and more. Below Maryland Juice provides photos and a press release from, Raise Maryland:

VIEW MD JUICE'S PRESS CONFERENCE PHOTOS

PRESS RELEASE

Montgomery County elected officials pledge to raise Maryland’s minimum wage
Momentum is building for an increase to $10.10 per hour by 2016 for state’s lowest paid workers
Takoma Park, MD – Montgomery County legislators are pledging to pass a bill raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour during the 2014 Maryland General Assembly. On October 1, the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting raising the rate for the state’s lowest wage workers.

At a press conference in Takoma Park, Del. Anne Kaiser and Sen. Jamie Raskin, co-chairs of the Montgomery County legislative delegation detailed why they believe that it is the right time to increase the minimum wage in Maryland.  Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and Montgomery County Council members Valerie Ervin and Marc Elrich also spoke at the event.

“Raising the minimum wage is a top priority for the upcoming legislative session. And it’s not enough to just pass any minimum wage increase,” said Sen. Raskin. “We will be advocating for a strong bill that raises the rate to $10.10, indexes the minimum wage to inflation and includes a raise for tipped workers.”

The proposed legislation would raise Maryland’s minimum wage in three steps to $10.10 per hour by 2016 and index it to the cost of living thereafter so that it doesn’t lose value over time. The legislation also incorporates an increase for tipped workers (from 50 percent to 70 percent of the prevailing minimum wage).

“It is time for the General Assembly to act on wages, to raise the standard for all workers,” said Del. Kaiser. “That includes tipped workers – restaurant workers, barbers, nail technicians, car wash employees – everyone who depends on tips as part of their income.”

Momentum is building for Maryland to increase the state’s minimum wage during the upcoming 2014 session of the Maryland General Assembly.  The Baltimore City Council also recently passed a unanimous resolution calling for an increase and each of the Democratic 2014 gubernatorial candidates have announced their support for a raise.

“With passage of this resolution, Montgomery County stands united in support of higher pay for our workers and building our county and state economy,” said County Executive Leggett. “An increase will also stimulate business and spending and we always welcome more business here in Montgomery County.”

The press conference was held at Capital City Cheesecake, a café and bakery in Takoma Park.  Meaghan Murphy, who owns the business with her sister, spoke in support of a wage increase. “Even though it’s a challenge to meet this higher wage, at the end of the day we’re not in business for solely our own benefit,” said Murphy. “We shouldn’t be in business if we can’t provide another dollar or more per hour to our workers.”

Councilman member Elrich, who introduced the measure, also addressed concerns about small business, saying, “We hear from the business lobby that a raise in the minimum wage will hurt business. They say that it’s a job killer and small businesses will be most affected. In fact, across Maryland, 71 percent of all low-wage workers are employed by businesses with more than 50 employees, like big box retailers and fast food restaurants.”

“We talk about understanding the face of poverty, but it faces we see every day in Montgomery County – working families trying to put food on the table, ensure a quality education for their kids and keep up with bill payments,” said Ervin. “With one of the highest standards of living in the state, we are leaving our low wage workers behind.”

A low-wage worker, Wilfred Mokoko, also spoke at the event, detailing the struggles he faces living on the minimum wage.  “At the start, the wages were fair, but as the cost of living has increased, I saw my wages were too low. The Ride On bus fare has increased from $1.20 to $1.80.  To many people these changes do not make a difference, but they matter to me. Some weeks, I spend more than $20 on bus transportation. When you make $7.25 an hour, this really hurts.”

Research has found that approximately 472,000 Marylanders would benefit from the increase, putting $466 million more in their pockets in the next two years. At the same time, businesses would benefit from nearly half a billion dollars in new consumer spending and would create more than 4,000 new full-time jobs as they expand to meet increased demand.

###

Raise Maryland is a diverse coalition of community, labor, immigrant, civil rights and faith organizations that seek to pass a statewide minimum wage increase and index it to inflation.

JUICE: MoCo Schools Chief Seeks Later School Start, MoCo Minimum Wage Hike, Pot Fail, New Laws & MD #1 for Women

Below Maryland Juice writers Dan Furmansky & David Moon present a round-up of recent political news:

JUICE #1: MONTGOMERY COUNTY SCHOOLS CHIEF RECOMMENDS STARTING SCHOOL ALMOST AN HOUR LATER - DAVID MOON: Today Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Josh Starr announced a recommendation to change the start of the school day in MoCo from 7:20 to 8:15 am. Below you can see some background on the issue, along with press releases from MCPS and the Maryland-based advocacy group Start School Later.

BACKGROUND: This time last year, Maryland Juice reported on a viral movement in MoCo to push back the start of the school day by about an hour. I first heard about this effort through my neighborhood listserv in Takoma Park and was encouraged to see that 4,000 people signed a petition to Josh Starr urging a start time of 8:15 am or later. Public schools in MoCo currently start at 7:20 am, and a body of research suggests that this early start hampers the readiness to learn for young minds. Numerous petition signers noted various negative effects and pointed to studies backing up their concerns. I myself came up through MoCo public schools, so I can attest to the straining impacts of our early start times. In any case, in the year that has now passed, the number of petition signers has grown to over 11,000, and the movement is advancing in Howard and Anne Arundel counties. In response, MCPS launched a committee to study school start times, and I must admit I feared that the study effort might end up being a black hole. Josh Starr's press release today proves me wrong (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Superintendent Recommends Later High School Start Times,
Longer Elementary School Day 

Broad Public Input Will Be Sought on Recommendation

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Joshua P. Starr is recommending that the district consider pushing back high school start times by 50 minutes and extending the elementary school day by 30 minutes. The recommendation is based on the report by the 2013 Bell Times Work Group, which has been studying the issue of school starting and ending times in MCPS for the past 10 months.... There will be extensive outreach to gather input from students, staff, parents, and community members about Dr. Starr’s recommendation. Staff will also determine the cost and operational impact of making changes to the school schedule. The earliest any changes would occur is the 2015-2016 school year....

“I am making this recommendation because I believe it is in the best interests of our students. There is extensive research that demonstrates that adolescents are simply not getting enough sleep. This is a public health and safety issue,” Dr. Starr said....

Dr. Starr is recommending the following changes be studied:

• Move high school start times 50 minutes later, from 7:25 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. (school ending at 3 p.m.)
• Move middle school start times 10 minutes earlier, from 7:55 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. (school ending at 2:30 p.m.)
• Keep elementary school start times as they currently are (8:50 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.), but extend the school day by 30 minutes (school ending at 3:35 p.m. and 4 p.m.)

The Start School Later advocates responded to the positive news with the following press release (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Montgomery County Public School System Recommends Later Bell Times
School Board should move quickly to approve the changes

I applaud Dr. Starr for his bold stance and I urge the board to support him.

This announcement would not have been possible without the enormous outpouring of support from the community. In December 2012, advocates presented the board with a petition of more than 10,000 signatures calling for later start times. An analysis of the survey found that signers were overwhelmingly local, came from every part of the county, and represented everyone involved in this issue, including parents, teachers, students, sleep experts, and health care providers. Local activists continued to make their voices heard over the past year, and the petition is still collecting signatures to this day....

The MCPS Board should move quickly to approve Dr. Starr's recommendations. Every day parents struggle to drag their sleep-deprived teens out of bed and off to early buses. The sooner these changes are made, the sooner everyone will benefit.

# # #

In tandem with the effort in Montgomery County, Delegate Aruna Miller introduced legislation to set up a statewide task force to research the issue. The Capital Gazette reported on Miller's effort last March (excerpt below):

CAPITAL GAZETTE: The House Ways and Means Committee’s Education Subcommittee moved House Bill 1462 forward last week, said Del. Aruna Miller, D-Montgomery, its sponsor.... The bill would establish a task force including politicians, education leaders, and health and sleep experts to look at the ramifications of starting school later in the morning....

“While we’re talking about school start times, what we’re really talking about is the health and safety of our children,” said Merry Eisner, policy chairwoman of the Montgomery County chapter of the grass-roots organization Start School Later.

Sleep loss causes problems with complex thought, motor responses, memory and attention, control of emotions, and performance in school or on the job, according to the National Institutes of Health. The NIH also reports the amount of sleep that an individual will need each day changes considerably over the course of a lifetime, with school-aged children needing at least 10 hours a day and teenagers needing at least nine hours a day....

Indeed, the Start School Later movement has been building support among public officials in recent months, and I noted the following Tweet in response to today's news:

JUICE #2: COUNCILMEMBER MARC ELRICH INTRODUCES BILL TO RAISE MOCO MINIMUM WAGE, IN TANDEM WITH PRINCE GEORGE'S & DC - DAVID MOON: Bethesda Now reported today that Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich introduced a bill to raise the county's minimum wage from $7.25 to $11.50 an hour. The effort is part of a regional initiative involving Prince George's County and the District of Columbia (excerpt below):

BETHESDA NOW: County Councilmember Marc Elrich on Tuesday introduced a bill that would increase the county’s minimum wage to $11.50 per hour in a unique regional effort that would join Montgomery County with Prince George’s and D.C.

In August, Elrich announced he would propose a $12 an hour minimum wage for the county. On Tuesday, Elrich said after consulting with Prince George’s County Council Chair Andrea Harrison and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, he moved his number down to $11.50 per hour to match proposals in those jurisdictions and establish a regional minimum wage....

Councilmembers Valerie Ervin (D-Silver Spring) and Nancy Navarro (D-East County, Mid-County) joined Elrich to co-sponsor the bill.... Councilmember Roger Berliner (D-Bethesda-Potomac) on Tuesday said he will not co-sponsor the measure, saying the state minimum wage measure will make the biggest impact.... Councilmember Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg) also went on the record as against the bill, saying the county can help poorer families by phasing out certain taxes. Councilmember George Leventhal (D-At large), chair of the Health and Human Services Committee that will work on the measure, said he will not support the bill now....

JUICE #3: ADVOCATES SAY MARYLAND IS NOT A MEDICAL MARIJUANA STATE - DAN FURMANSKY: 18 states have legalized medical marijuana, but many advocates don’t consider Maryland to count as number 19. That’s because Maryland passed by far the weakest law in the country. Patients in need of medical marijuana have no way of obtaining it — and it’s entirely unclear when that might change. Gov. O’Malley established an 11-member commission to help set up a system to help design and implement a program, but so far, no one has stated a program might even be up and running until 2016.  Here’s more from a press release issued when the law was passed by the advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (aka ASA) (excerpt below):

AMERICANS FOR SAFE ACCESS: The Maryland Senate voted 42-4 today to pass what legislators are calling a new statewide medical marijuana bill, but patient advocates say that HB1101 is more symbolic than practical and will fail to make much "real-world" difference in the lives of patients. Specifically, HB1101, which has already been passed by the House of Delegates, would extend the current affirmative defense for patients who are arrested and prosecuted under state law, but would provide no way for patients to obtain their medication. Agreeing with the sentiment of advocates, the nonpartisan Maryland Department of Legislative Services issued a fiscal note last month that questioned the bill's effectiveness, casting doubt on whether it will ever meet legislators' expectations....

Complaints about the program focus on the fact that—thanks to Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary Joshua Sharfstein—medical marijuana may only be obtained from a licensed "Academic Medical Center" (AMC).  The new law, according to ASA, fails to establish a well-regulated system for qualified patients to cultivate their own medical marijuana, a right that has been the cornerstone of most state laws since the passage of California's Compassionate Use Act in 1996.

Maryland has a long way to go with regard to compassionate care, not to mention drug policy overall. You might recall that I called out our state for falling behind Mississippi and Nebraska on marijuana reform. Those two red states are among fifteen states have already decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana (not including Colorado and Washington).

It would help if we had real leadership from Gov. Martin O’Malley on the issue. Unfortunately, as late as 2012, he was threatening to veto medical marijuana legislation, so it’s little surprise that we now have a medical marijuana law in name only for the foreseeable future. The Governor also failed to take a position on a decriminalization bill that overwhelmingly passed the Senate this year and as a result, it died in the House. 2014 will be a crucial year for Gov. O’Malley to exhibit real leadership in the area of marijuana policy reform.


JUICE #4: NEW LAWS ON CELL PHONES, SEAT BELTS, AND PREGNANT WORKERS TO TAKE EFFECT - DAN FURMANSKY: Besides our toothless medical marijuana program and our new laws regarding firearms, there are a host of other new laws going into effect this week that are noteworthy. Here’s a quick summary from The Washington Times, free of any conservative commentary from our ideological counterparts (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON TIMES: Hand held phone calls: Driving in Maryland is going to also change next week. Starting on October 1, holding a cell phone in your hand to talk will become a primary offense....

Seatbelt and child seats: In an attempt to make driving in Maryland safer, the start of the new fiscal year will bring two additional car safety laws. Seatbelts will need to be worn by everyone in the car, including adults in the backseat and all children under the age of eight, regardless of weight, who are less than 4ft 9 in. will need to be secured into a child safety seat....

Pregnancy on the job: Lawmakers in Maryland have declared pregnancy a disability. According to HB0804, Maryland employers who employ 15 workers or more must make reasonable accommodations to a woman who experiences limitations due to her pregnancy....

JUICE #5: PROGRESSIVE MOTHER SHIP CALLS MARYLAND #1 IN NATION FOR WOMEN - DAN FURMANSKY: Politicians continue to crow about how Virginia is stealing all of our business because of its lower corporate tax rate. Whatever. Here is another great example of why the “creative class” of young workers will find Maryland a far more attractive place to live than Virginia, which already has a reputation for being about 800% less gay-friendly than us. In turns out that Virginia is also significantly less women-friendly. (Perhaps that’s why female voters are defecting in droves from the establishment gubernatorial candidate Ken “I saw Goody Proctor with the devil!” Cuccinnelli.)

According to a new report by the Center for American Progress (of which I am clearly a fan, since I titled them the progressive Mother Ship), Maryland ranks No. 1 in the United States for the state of its women. Here’s a report from The Baltimore Sun (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Maryland received a new No. 1 title for Gov. Martin O'Malley to crow about Wednesday as the Center for American Progress ranked its the best of the 50 states for women. And crow the governor did, releasing a statement saying he and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown were "thrilled" by the distinction. “Working together, we have made great strides in making Maryland a great place for women to live, lead, and learn," O'Malley said.

The ranking is unlikely to impress conservatives because the Center for American Progress is a liberal group that counted such things as unimpeded access to abortion services and contraception among its criteria for a positive rating. But the title could give Maryland bragging rights among the blue states and could be a plus for O'Malley as a possible presidential candidate making a pitch to women who vote in Democratic primaries. The center ranked Maryland No. 1 in terms of women's economic standing and leadership opportunities. It was rated 17th in terms of women's health.

Among the 36 factors taken into account were women's income levels, poverty rates and representation in the state legislature and Congress. Also considered were levels of infant and maternal mortality, as well as the availability of paid sick leave and family and access to early childhood education. States were downgraded for such things as requiring ultrasounds before a woman can have an abortion and defunding Planned Parenthood.

And here’s some healthy Virginia-bashing, c/o WAMU’s analysis of the report (excerpt below):

WAMU: On economic factors, Maryland likely benefits from its proximity to the boom economy of D.C., but that doesn't tell the whole story. Maryland is tied with Nevada for the lowest wage gap for women in the country at 85 cents to the dollar, and it has the third-lowest poverty rate for women in the nation at 11.4 percent.

Virginia did not fare as well as Maryland, with a C+ overall grade and a No. 23 ranking. Like Maryland, Virginia offers women relatively robust economic opportunities, with low levels of women in poverty (12.7 percent).

It was Virginia's D+ grade in health, however, that really sank the commonwealth to the middle of the pack, largely driven by legislation on women's reproductive health.

Anna Chu, one of the authors of the study, suggests that the lack of women in positions of leadership in the Commonwealth may in part be responsible for the nature of the laws passed affecting women's health. "Would women be better served if there were more women in leadership positions? It deserves a deeper look and analysis," says Chu. "This is especially true right now in Virginia, when the state is trying to find out what they want their leadership to look like."

There are no women currently representing the Commonwealth of Virginia in Congress or in statewide elected executive seats. Of elected state legislators, just 17.9 percent are women. Last year, controversial legislation was passed requiring women seeking abortions to first have an ultrasound exam. The Virginia Board of Health also signed off on new regulations that effectively put most of the state's abortion clinics out of business.

Take that, Virginia!

Q: Who Did Maryland Juice Blogger David Moon Donate To? // A: Cory McCray of Baltimore & Dr. Clarence Lam of Howard Co.

BACKGROUND: Before Maryland Juice begins writing more about a few of the interesting races going on in the state, I decided to remind folks once again that I am not an unbiased observer of politics. In fact, in the "Who Is Juice?" section of this blog, I state quite plainly that I have numerous political ties and strong views on policy. Indeed, I never intended to stop being involved personally just because I also write about politics -- and that's sort of the point of the Maryland Juice ethos.

DISCLOSURE: In any case, with respect to the District 45 House race in Baltimore and the District 12 House race in Howard County, I thought it was worth noting that I recently attended two fundraisers for Delegate candidates in those contests. My attendance (and paid admission) should not be regarded as an endorsement by this blog (as of now we don't do endorsements) or a statement about the other candidates in those races. Even still, I thought it was worth noting why I attended these two particular events. After all, without the constraints placed upon mainstream media writers, this blogger has typically romped around to all manner of overtly political events and gotten involved with issues, campaigns and candidates. Sometimes I have to buy a ticket to gain admission, but as it turns out, both McCray and Lam are also on board with moving a range of tough social & economic justice issues that stalled in Annapolis in recent months. Details below.

Cory McCray at left; Clarence Lam at right (photos from Facebook)

NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT: So when two Delegate candidates from outside of Montgomery County invited me to attend their fundraisers in the Silver Spring region, I couldn't resist the opportunity to dig deeper into their campaigns -- and so close to my home!  Indeed, Maryland Juice has been following the campaigns of Cory McCray in D45 and Dr. Clarence Lam in D12. Both young Democrats, for example, spoke out about various controversial issues during the last legislative session (excerpts below):

CORY MCCRAY & CLARENCE LAM'S VIEWS ON STALLED JUSTICE ISSUES - Maryland Juice had the opportunity to prod both Cory McCray and Clarence Lam about their views on a range of stalled legislative issues, and as of now, both candidates for the Maryland House are on board to move the needle on some of the social and economic justice issues that failed in recent legislative sessions. Obviously things can change (this is politics, after all), but alongside opposing the Lockheed Martin corporate welfare bill, McCray and Lam both indicated support for the following reforms:

• Paid Sick Leave for Maryland Residents
• Minimum Wage Hike in Maryland
• Transgender Non-Discrimination
• Marijuana Decriminalization

Democrat Cory McCray made it onto my radar many months ago when we started corresponding about his work helping form the BEST Democratic Club -- a Baltimore club which works to "promote, empower, and unite a new generation of young voters to participate in elections." McCray currently works for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Democrat Clarence Lam is a physician who works at the Johns Hopkins School of preventative health and also works with Delegate Dan Morhaim in Annapolis. He's also been involved with the Young Democrats in Howard County.

Note that Maryland  Juice's contributions to Lam and McCray should not be seen as any statement about the other candidates in the District 12 and District 45 House races. Indeed, in D12 there will be three open Delegate seats and in D45 there was a recent vacancy that was filled by the appointment process, so there is not currently an elected incumbent running for the open seat there.


FINAL NOTE - Lastly, it should be noted that I donated to my State Senator, Jamie Raskin, for his birthday celebration earlier this year. But that shouldn't surprise anyone, since I ran his very first campaign in 2006. Not to mention, he also had an interesting speakers line-up at his event, including Secretary of State Madeline Albright, Governor Martin O'Malley and Attorney General candidate Brian Frosh.

ROLL CALLS: Maryland Approves Medical Marijuana, Licenses for Undocumented Residents, Gas Tax Hike & New Gun Laws

In the last few weeks, Maryland lawmakers approved a series of high-profile bills on a range of topics. Below Maryland Juice provides a combined House and Senate roll call on four key issues that were advanced by progressive advocates this session:

• HB1515:   Gas Tax Hike to Boost Transportation & Transit Funds
• HB1101:   Medical Marijuana Legalization
• SB715:     Drivers Licenses for Undocumented Residents
• SB281:     Assault Weapons Ban & Gun Registration Laws

DEMOCRATS WHO OPPOSED THESE BILLS: Before the full roll call below, we highlight the Democratic "no" votes on each issue. It is worth noting that the medical marijuana bill was by far the least controversial:

• SENATE MEDICAL MARIJUANA OPPONENTS: The medical marijuana bill passed the State Senate by a vote of 42 to 4. The 4 votes against the bill came from 2 Senate Republicans, joined by 2 Democrats:

1. Sen. John Astle - (Anne Arundel)
2. Sen. Ed DeGrange - (Anne Arundel)

• HOUSE MEDICAL MARIJUANA OPPONENTS: The medical marijuana bill passed the House by a vote of 108 to 28. The 28 votes against the bill came from 21 Senate Republicans, joined by 7 Democrats:  

1. Del. Charles Barkley - (Montgomery)
2. Del. Emmett Burns - (Baltimore County)
3. Del. Norm Conway - (Wicomico)
4. Del. Kevin Kelly - (Allegany)
5. Del. John Olszewski - (Baltimore County)
6. Del. Theodore Sophocleus - (Anne Arundel)
7. Del. John Wood - (St. Mary's)

• SENATE OPPONENTS OF DRIVERS LICENSES FOR UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS: The bill to allow drivers licenses for undocumented residents passed the Senate by a vote of 29 to 18. The 18 votes against the bill came from all 12 Senate Republicans, joined by 6 Democrats:  

1. Sen. Jim Brochin - (Baltimore County)
2. Sen. Ed DeGrange - (Anne Arundel)
3. Sen. Roy Dyson - (St. Mary's)
4. Sen. Katherine Klausmeier - (Baltimore County)
5. Sen. Jim Mathias - (Wicomico)
6. Sen. Norm Stone - (Baltimore County)

• HOUSE OPPONENTS OF DRIVERS LICENSES FOR UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS: The bill to allow drivers licenses for undocumented residents passed the House by a vote of 82 to 55. The 55 votes against the bill came from all 43 House Republicans, joined by 12 Democrats:  

1. Del. John Bohanan - (St. Mary's)
2. Del. Eric Bromwell - (Baltimore County)
3. Del. Emmett Burns - (Baltimore County)
4. Del. Steve DeBoy - (Baltimore County)
5. Del. John Donoghue - (Washington)
6. Del. Mary-Dulany James - (Harford)
7. Del. Kevin Kelly - (Allegany)
8. Del. Joseph Minnick - (Baltimore County)
9. Del. John Olszewski - (Baltimore County)
10. Del. Theodore Sophocleus - (Anne Arundel)
11. Del. Michael Weir - (Baltimore County)
12. Del. C. T. Wilson - (Charles)

• SENATE GUN LAW OPPONENTS:  Laws creating new restrictions on the sale of firearms passed the State Senate by a vote of 28 to 19. The 19 votes against the gun laws came from all 12 Senate Republicans, joined by 7 Democrats:

1. Sen. John Astle - (Anne Arundel)
2. Sen. Ed DeGrange - (Anne Arundel)
3. Sen. Roy Dyson - (St. Mary's)
4. Sen. Katherine Klausmeier - (Baltimore County)
5. Sen. Jim Mathias - (Wicomico)
6. Sen. Mac Middleton - (Charles)
7. Sen. Norm Stone - (Baltimore County)

• HOUSE GUN LAW OPPONENTS:  In the House, the vote for new gun regulations was 78 to 61. The 61 votes against the gun laws came from all 43 Senate Republicans, joined by 18 Democrats:

1. Del. Pamela Beidle - (Anne Arundel)
2. Del. John Bohanan - (St. Mary's)
3. Del. Eric Bromwell - (Baltimore County)
4. Del. Rudolph Cane - (Wicomico)
5. Del. Norm Conway - (Wicomico)
6. Del. Steve DeBoy - (Baltimore County)
7. Del. John Donoghue - (Washington)
8. Del. Mary-Dulany James - (Harford)
9. Del. Sally Jameson - (Charles)
10. Del. Kevin Kelly - (Allegany)
11. Del. James Malone - (Baltimore County)
12. Del. Peter Murphy - (Charles)
13. Del. John Olszewski - (Baltimore County)
14. Del. David Rudolph - (Cecil)
15. Del. Theodore Sophocleus - (Anne Arundel)
16. Del. Michael Weir - (Baltimore County)
17. Del. C.T. Wilson - (Charles)
18. Del. John Wood - (St. Mary's)

• SENATE GAS TAX OPPONENTS: The transportation funding package passed the State Senate by a vote of 27 to 20. The 20 votes against the gas tax came from all 12 Senate Republicans, joined by 8 Democrats:  

1. Sen. John Astle - (Anne Arundel)
2. Sen. Jim Brochin - (Baltimore County)
3. Sen. Ed DeGrange - (Anne Arundel)
4. Sen. Roy Dyson - (St. Mary's)
5. Sen. Delores Kelley - (Baltimore County)
6. Sen. Katherine Klausmeier - (Baltimore County)
7. Sen. Jim Mathias - (Wicomico)
8. Sen. Norm Stone  - (Baltimore County)

• HOUSE GAS TAX OPPONENTS: In the House, the transportation funding vote was 76 to 63. The 63 votes against the gas tax came from 41 Senate Republicans, joined by 22 Democrats:

1. Del. Pamela Beidle - (Anne Arundel)
2. Del. Aisha Braveboy - (Prince George's)
3. Del. Eric Bromwell - (Baltimore County)
4. Del. Emmett Burns - (Baltimore County)
5. Del. Rudolph Cane - (Wicomico)
6. Del. Frank Conaway - (Baltimore)
7. Del. Norm Conway - (Wicomico)
8. Del. Steve DeBoy - (Baltimore County)
9. Del. Barbara Frush - (Prince George's)
10. Del. Mary-Dulany James - (Harford)
11. Del. Kevin Kelly - (Allegany)
12. Del. Stephen Lafferty - (Baltimore County)
13. Del. Jim Malone - (Baltimore County)
14. Del. Joseph Minnick - (Baltimore County)
15. Del. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam - (Baltimore County)
16. Del. John Olszewski - (Baltimore County)
17. Del. David Rudolph - (Cecil)
18. Del. Luiz Simmons - (Montgomery)
19. Del. Theodore Sophocleus - (Anne Arundel)
20. Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith - (Prince George's)
21. Del. Michael Weir - (Baltimore County)
22. Del. John Wood - (St. Mary's)

HOW MARYLAND POLITICIANS VOTED ON FOUR KEY ISSUES:

BELOW: FULL HOUSE & SENATE ROLL CALLS

Maryland Senate Votes to Decriminalize Pot Possession While House Approves Medical Marijuana // ROLL CALL ANALYSIS

UPDATE: Maryland Juice just received the following legislative tidbit from a reader on Facebook encouraging Marylanders to contact Delegate Joe Vallario and urge him to stop holding up marijuana decriminalization:  joseph.vallario@house.state.md.us or (410) 841-3488.

READER: Students for Sensible Drug Policy sent out an email blast calling on its MD members to "Urge Chairman Vallario to pass marijuana decriminalization in Maryland" etc. with some indication that he as the committee chairman "has been the main obstacle to passing positive marijuana legislation in Maryland." Let's hope this common sense reform makes it through!

Reforms to Maryland's draconian laws regarding marijuana are finally advancing in the State Senate and House of Delegates. After years of severe lag-time, Maryland Democrats have finally caught on that the world is moving on after blindly experimenting with the last generation's failed "War on Drugs."

Maryland currently spends roughly $226 million a year on marijuana enforcement -- with little meaningful impact on the public's use of recreational drugs.  Meanwhile, young Marylanders and people of color are arbitrarily and disproportionately welcomed into the criminal justice system, subjecting them to potential ineligibility for student loans and persistent problems finding employment.

MARYLAND SENATE APPROVES MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION - Last week the Maryland Senate approved a bill to eliminate the possibility of jail terms for "de minimis" marijuana possession (aka a few joints or less). A bill sponsored by Senator Bobby Zirkin proposes to reduce the penalty for minor pot possession to no more than a $100 fine with no jail time at all. The bill was approved by a vote of 30-16 in a surprisingly smooth vote, and The Washington Post editorial board recently encouraged the House of Delegates to join the Senate in decriminalizing pot (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: The Maryland Senate’s vote to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana would not, as some critics warn, make it okay to use the drug. Such use would still be illegal, but it would be a civil offense, punishable by fines rather than imprisonment. Not only would this save law enforcement valuable resources but also prevent the lives of many young people from being ruined. We hope the House of Delegates follows the Senate’s lead and that Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) signs this sensible measure into law....

Currently Maryland law allows for up to a shocking 90 days in prison and a $500 fine for possession of minor amounts of pot. But despite the common-sense nature of this "decriminalization" law, the vote to start ending the War on Drugs in Maryland revealed interesting divisions between lawmakers. You can see the full roll call online, but below Maryland Juice highlights a few notable tidbits.

NINE SENATE DEMOCRATS VOTED TO MAINTAIN 90 DAY JAIL TERMS FOR MARIJUANA - The vast majority of Senate Democrats voted to eliminate the possibility of 90 day jail terms for residents caught with small amounts of marijuana.  Democratic leaders --  including Senate President Mike Miller -- voted for marijuana decriminalization, and only nine of Maryland's thirty-five Democratic Senators voted to support continued incarceration of people caught with pot. But surprisingly, two of the "no" votes came from Senators Nancy King and Roger Manno, who represent liberal Montgomery County. Below you can see the nine Democratic Senators who voted against peeling back the War on Drugs in Maryland:

1. John Astle (Anne Arundel County)
2. Ed Degrange (Anne Arundel County)
3. Roy Dyson (Calvert, Charles & St. Mary's Counties)
4. Nancy King (Montgomery County)
5. Katherine Klausmeier (Baltimore County)
6. Roger Manno (Montgomery County)
7. Jim Mathias (Somerset, Wicomico & Worcester Counties)
8. Jim Robey (Howard County)
9. Norm Stone (Baltimore County)

SENATOR ROGER MANNO EXPLAINS VOTE TO MAINTAIN POSSIBILITY OF JAIL FOR POT POSSESSION - Interestingly, shortly after the historic marijuana reform vote, Senator Roger Manno explained to Maryland Juice why he voted to maintain possible 90 day jail terms for minor pot possession. Manno stated that he thought the War on Drugs was a failure but that it was arbitrary to only roll back penalties on marijuana. I'm still a little confused by this argument, but if drug reform advocates take Senator Manno at his word, that means he should be approached to sponsor an even larger unraveling of the War on Drugs in Maryland  -- perhaps a bill that comprehensively audits and revisits jail terms assigned to all cases of simple possession?


NEARLY 50% OF REPUBLICAN SENATORS VOTED AGAINST 90 DAY JAIL TERMS FOR POT - While some Democrats struggled to stay on top of shifting public sentiment on marijuana, the Republicans are beginning to catch on. Notably, five out of twelve Republican Senators (or nearly 50%) voted to eliminate the threat of 90 day jail terms for minor pot possession:

1. David Brinkley (Carroll & Frederick Counties)
2. Richard Colburn (Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot & Wicomico Counties)
3. Nancy Jacobs (Cecil & Harford Counties)
4. Alan Kittleman (Carroll & Howard Counties)
5. Ed Reilly (Anne Arundel County)

MEANWHILE, MD SENATE VOTES TO MAKE POSSESSION OF SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA PUNISHABLE BY FOUR YEARS IN JAIL - In one of the signs of how dysfunctional and irrational drug policy is in America, only days after the Maryland Senate voted overwhelmingly to decriminalize pot possession -- Senators also voted unanimously to make possession of synthetic marijuana punishable by up to four years in prison. Last week, Maryland Senators voted to add synthetic marijuana to the state's list of "Schedule I" substances -- making simple possession a crime that could land you in jail for years. This may have been a pro-forma step to conform Maryland's criminal code with the Federal Schedule I, but we are already beginning to move away from compliance with Barack Obama's broken campaign promises on drug reform. One step forward, two steps back on ending the failed War on Drugs in Maryland? Oy!


MARYLAND HOUSE FINALLY APPROVES MODEST MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW - While the Maryland Senate was busy decriminalizing possession of minor amounts of pot, the House of Delegates was debating whether to allow medical marijuana in Maryland. But today they finally voted to approve a modest program to allow distribution of marijuana for medical purposes. The medical marijuana bill passed by a whopping margin in a 108 to 28 vote. The Capital Gazette reported on the break in the logjam (excerpt below):

CAPITAL GAZETTE: The House of Delegates passed a bill Monday to allow a small number of academic medical centers to distribute marijuana to patients beginning in 2016. Delegates voted 108-28 to pass House Bill 1101, introduced by Del. Dan K. Morhaim, D-Baltimore County. The bill would create a commission through which academic medical research centers could apply to operate medical marijuana programs. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it could get a hearing as soon as this week....

With just 15 days left in the General Assembly's 90-day session, marijuana will be an important issue in both chambers. On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee is expected to take up Senate Bill 297, which would decriminalize possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana. The Senate passed that bill on March 19....

THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING IN THE AIR - Most Americans consider the War on Drugs a policy failure, and Maryland Juice has been pointing out for months that a super-majority of Democrats and liberals nationally now support full-on taxation and regulation of pot (even Senate President Mike Miller). Indeed, a 2012 Huffington Post/YouGov opinion survey confirmed the clear shift in attitudes:

HUFFINGTON POST: A solid majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana, either with or without taxes and regulations similar to those imposed on alcoholic beverages, according to a new survey conducted by YouGov for The Huffington Post.

The poll found that 51 percent of adults support legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol.... Only 26 percent of respondents said that marijuana should not be legalized.... Those under age 29 and between ages 45 and 64 were most likely to support legalization pure and simple...

The poll found more variation among people of different political parties. Sixty-four percent of Democrats ...  said they supported legalization with taxes and regulations. Overall, opposition was highest among Republicans, but even so, more Republicans favored one of the two legalization options (47 percent) than opposed legalization entirely (44 percent).

A 2011 Gallup poll also verified new majority support for marijuana reform and noted that a whopping 69% of liberals support the legalization effort. Check out a few summary tables below:

Are Maryland politicians figuring out that public sentiment has changed? More on the War on Drugs soon!

JuiceBlender: Maryland Democrats Warming Up to Marijuana, Death Penalty Ban Passes House Judiciary, Senate Passes Wind

PLUS: SENATE PRESIDENT MIKE MILLER ENDORSES MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

Below Maryland Juice provides a few updates on Annapolis news items of interest to politicos, starting with a wave of updates regarding marijuana policy in Maryland. The issue has been moving quickly in recent weeks, giving me that sense that there's definitely something in the air:

JUICE #1: O'MALLEY ADMINISTRATION GIVES CAUTIOUS SUPPORT FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL - The Baltimore Sun today reported that Governor Martin O'Malley's administration is cautiously getting behind medical marijuana after threatening to veto the measure last year (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Gov. Martin O'Malley's administration withdrew its opposition to legislation allowing doctors and nurses to dispense medical marijuana to patients through academic medical centers, raising prospects for passage this year.

Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, the state secretary of health and mental hygiene, said Friday that the administration could support the bill but only if it gave the governor the "flexibility" to suspend the program if the federal government threatened legal action over what it still classifies as an illegal drug.... Under what Sharfstein called a "yellow-light approach" to medical marijuana, the bill would allow dispensing the drug to patients with cancer, intractable pain and other conditions.

O'Malley had threatened to veto medical marijuana legislation last year.... Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler also expressed concerns....

SEN. BOBBY ZIRKIN PUSHING BILL TO SHIFT PENALTY FOR POT POSSESSION FROM JAIL TIME TO FINE  - Maryland Juice is glad to see that Gov. O'Malley is finally coming around on this issue, but I must also admit that I see his tip-toeing toward medical marijuana as a very small "victory." After all, while medical marijuana for cancer patients is a common-sense goal, I remain far more concerned about the mass incarceration of Americans -- especially for things like non-violent drug offenses. No amount of prescription dope is going to solve that bigger social problem -- and I feel that it is perhaps one of the largest unaddressed social justice issues of our time. Indeed, our continued grandfathering of the War on Drugs into Maryland policy leads to cycles of poverty, joblessness, recidivism, student loan ineligibility and more -- disproportionately affecting people of color, and subjecting young people to harassment by law enforcement.

MARYLAND SPENDS $236 MILLION ANNUALLY ON POT ENFORCEMENT - State Senator Bobby Zirkin has a bill to address these concerns by "decriminalizing"' possession of minor amounts of marijuana, and shifting the penalties from jail time to a simple fine. Amazingly, decriminalization has already passed in fifteen other states, making it a common-sense and now mainstream policy change for those who want to get serious about ending their state's participation in the failed War on Drugs. Check out this report from The Fix website (excerpt below):

THE FIX: Could Maryland be the next state to end marijuana prohibition? Yes, according to LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition).... The bill — sponsored by Democratic Senator Bobby Zirkin — seeks to decriminalize small-scale possession in the Free State....

Pot prohibition doesn’t just generate stacks of illicit cash — it also costs a great deal, according to Harvard University economist Jeffrey Miron, who says that Maryland spends over $236 million per annum on marijuana enforcement. In the current era, many are asking whether that's worth the price tag. SB 297 — which  can be viewed in its entirety here — would reduce penalties for possession to a mere $100 dollar fine.

Neill Franklin carried out narcotics work for the Maryland State Police during his 34-year career.... “The current laws force police officers in Maryland to waste hour after hour processing marijuana possession arrests,” he says. “Can you imagine how many more burglaries, rapes and murders we could solve if we put these wasted man-hours toward good use? Marijuana prohibition constitutes a serious threat to public safety." With 15 other states having already decriminalized low-level marijuana possession — and others, such as Hawaii, considering it — SB 297 looks to have a fighting chance....

DEL. CURT ANDERSON INTRODUCES BILL TO TAX & REGULATE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA - State Senator Bobby Zirkin admitted at the hearing for his marijuana decriminalization bill that he would prefer that Maryland simply legalize, tax and regulate marijuana sales. A week after that hearing, Delegate Curt Anderson introduced a bill that would do just that in Maryland House. The Gazette reported on the forward-looking legislation (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: Del. Curt Anderson on Thursday introduced a bill that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Maryland, mirroring measures passed by referendum last year in Colorado and Washington.

The bill would allow Marylanders 21 and older to possess one ounce or less of marijuana, and to grow three or fewer plants in their homes. An excise tax of $50 per ounce would be collected by the state under the proposal. Plants grown at home would be required to have a state-issued zip tie attached. Each zip tie would cost $100 and be valid for one year.

Under the bill, smoking marijuana in public would be prohibited, as would driving while under the influence of marijuana. A portion of the revenue from regulating marijuana would go toward alcohol, tobacco and drug treatment. The marijuana trade would be regulated by the state comptroller’s office....

Maryland traditionally has lagged behind other progressive states when it comes to drug policy, still having not legalized medical marijuana, as 18 states and Washington, D.C., have.

SENATE PRESIDENT MIKE MILLER ENDORSES FULL-ON MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION - When asked by the Capital Gazette to comment on Del. Anderson's pot legalization bill, Senate President Mike Miller amazingly endorsed the proposal (excerpt below):

CAPITAL GAZETTE: Miller ... said he personally favors the “liberalization of marijuana laws,” and thinks marijuana should be regulated like cigarettes and alcohol.

“We’re incarcerating people for offenses that really I think they should be treated as very minor offenses, paying a fine,” Miller said. “But those are my personal views and I don’t think they’re the views of the majority of the Senate...”

Annoyingly, Senator Miller understands the connection between the United States having the world's largest prison population and our tacit consent for incarcerating people for simple drug possession -- yet he doesn't seem motivated to do anything about it. Why can't he summon some of that energy he used to steamroll casino expansion in Maryland to try and get this done?


JUICE #2: DEATH PENALTY BAN PASSES MARYLAND HOUSE JUDICIARY 14 TO 8 // ONE DEMOCRAT JOINED GOP TO OPPOSE REPEAL - Today the Maryland House Judiciary Committee approved death penalty repeal legislation in a 14 to 8 vote. Below Maryland Juice provides the roll call for the committee vote, but the short story is that it was almost a perfect party line vote. One Democrat, Delegate Keven Kelly (highlighted in blue), crossed over with the GOP in their unsuccessful attempts to defeat death penalty repeal. The measure now heads to the floor for a vote by the full body (sometime next week). There's still time to contact your representatives in the Maryland House and urge them to support repeal of the death penalty.

MARYLAND HOUSE JUDICIARY DEATH PENALTY REPEAL ROLL CALL

VOTED FOR REPEAL

1. Curt Anderson 
2. Sam Arora
3. Jill Carter
4. Luke Clippinger
5. Frank Conaway, Jr.
6. Kathleen Dumais
7. Susan Lee
8. Keiffer Mitchell
9. Sandy Rosenberg
10. Luiz Simmons
11. Darren Swain
12. Kriselda Valderrama
13. Geraldine Valentino-Smith
14. Jeff Waldstreicher

VOTED AGAINST REPEAL

1. John Cluster, Jr. (R)
2. Glen Glass (R)
3. Michael Hough (R)
4. Kevin Kelly (D)
5. Susan McComas (R)
6. Mike McDermott (R)
7. Neil Parrott (R)
8. Mike Smigiel (R)

DOESN'T VOTE UNLESS TIED

1. Chairman Joe Vallario

JUICE #3: GOVERNOR O'MALLEY'S WIND FARM PROPOSAL CLEARS STATE SENATE - Yet another signature initiative of Governor Martin O'Malley advanced in the State Legislature today. The Washington Post reports that the multi-year effort to incentivize creation of wind farms on the Maryland shore advanced today (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: After three years of debate, countless revisions and lots of downsizing, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s plan to subsidize development of offshore wind energy passed the state Senate on Friday, all but ensuring final approval in coming days.

The victory for O’Malley (D) on a signature environmental initiative came as his bill to repeal the death penalty advanced in the House of Delegates and as he inched toward support of a measure to legalize medical marijuana.

The passage of the offshore wind bill, which failed in each of the past two years, would allow Maryland to seek a private developer to build a field of giant turbines off the coast of Ocean City, perhaps by 2017....

JuiceBlender: GOP Candidate Alleges Cheating in Van Hollen Race, O'Malley vs. Cuomo on Pot & 2014 MD Governor's Race

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few more post-election articles and analyses from the latest round of press. Sidebar: Sorry for posting so many JuiceBlenders lately, but much of the current punditry happens to be noteworthy right now. In any case, see our round-up below, which begins with sour grapes from a Maryland Republican:

JUICE #1: GOP CANDIDATE KEN TIMMERMAN CLAIMS THERE WAS CHEATING IN REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN'S RE-ELECTION - On November 6, Maryland's 8th District Congressional incumbent won re-election by over 100,000 votes. Most would say the race between Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen and GOP challenger Ken Timmerman was not even close. But that's not stopping Timmerman from alleging there was cheating involved. Check out the outrageous comments from the BethesdaNow site (excerpt below):

KEN TIMMERMAN (VIA BETHESDANOW): The defeated Republican candidate for Rep. Chris Van Hollen’s congressional seat yesterday questioned the accuracy of Montgomery County polling results, filing a Public Information Act request to obtain electronic voting machine records for last week’s election....

He claimed voters in Montgomery County contacted him with “anecdotal evidence of irregularities during early voting and the Nov. 6 general election at various polling stations in Montgomery and Carroll Counties....”

“It won’t change the outcome of this year’s elections,” Timmerman wrote. “But it could mean there will be less cheating in 2014.”

JUICE #2: PUNDIT ANALYSIS OF MARYLAND 2014 GUBERNATORIAL RACE - Gazette columnist Barry Rascovar has an interesting round-up on the candidates for Maryland's 2014 gubernatorial race. Indeed, we've been following the emerging dynamics in the race, and Rascovar provides some context and his take on the candidates. Okay -- more specifically, Rascovar mostly points out the weaknesses of the various candidates. Check out a quick excerpt from his analysis below. The full article is online here.

GAZETTE: One big unknown is the fate of the current governor.... Should the governor serve out his term Brown might have tough sledding. He’ll still have to defend eight years of sometimes-controversial policy decisions....

Gansler has run a large public law firm but has never had to make decisions on raising taxes, cutting social services or how to maneuver a long list of priorities through a rambunctious House and Senate....

Franchot is a political chameleon. His positions often depend on which constituency he’s trying to impress...

Others are looking at the governor’s race, too, including liberal Del. Heather Mizeur of Takoma Park, who got a big boost from her vocal championing of same-sex marriage....

Another wannabe is Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. He’s been a successful chief in that affulent subdivision but translating that into statewide viability could be daunting. There’s not much of a voter base in Howard for Ulman to build upon.

JUICE #3: O'MALLEY VS. CUOMO ON MARIJUANA -  Democratic and Republican politicos around the nation have been re-thinking marijuana policy after two states approved legalized use at the ballot this year. But prior to the election, 2016 White House rivals Martin O'Malley and NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo had staked out differing positions on the issue. O'Malley has threatened to veto even simply medical marijuana in Maryland -- even while it is an uncontroversial issue among voters, who support prescription-use in overwhelming numbers. Last March O'Malley's team told The Baltimore Sun they would likely veto any medical marijuana bills, due to fear of the Feds. Meanwhile, other states (and their voters) are proceeding boldly.

CUOMO BLOCKS PAY RAISES FOR LEGISLATORS DUE TO THEIR HOLD-UP OF POT DECRIMINALIZATION - Days before the November 6th Presidential Election, Cuomo appears to have predicted shifting policy winds (once again). The Village Voice reported that the Governor of New York told legislators he would not help approve pay raises for them unless they approved of his marijuana decriminalization effort (excerpt below):

VILLAGE VOICE: New York State legislators want a pay raise for the first time since 1999. Governor Andrew Cuomo wants young minorities to stop getting screwed by New York's bizarre "public view" marijuana law, and the NYPD's controversial "stop and frisk" policy -- and the governor made it clear yesterday that lawmakers won't get a pay bump until they get to work on decriminalizing "public view" marijuana....

Marijuana was decriminalized in New York in the 1970s thanks to the Marijuana Reform Act, which makes possession of marijuana a ticketable offense, rather than a crime that will go on your permanent record. However, a loophole in the law makes it a misdemeanor to possess weed in "public view...."

The loophole has led to the disproportionate arrests of young minorities (of the roughly 50,000 people arrested each year in New York for low-level marijuana offenses, 87 percent are black or Hispanic), who fall victim to the law because of "Stop and Frisk...."

NO PLANS FOR REFORM IN MARYLAND? - Indeed, New York is proceeding with decriminalization and other states are moving to outright legalization. But in Maryland, our law does not even create a clear vehicle for cancer patients to have access to marijuana. Though legislators want to change that, The Gazette is reporting that right now, there are no clear plans to revive the debate in the next legislative session:

GAZETTE: Sen. David Brinkley (R-Dist. 4) ... said marijuana laws need reforming, but he is not optimistic anything will be done in the next session.... [The] effort to allow medical marijuana to be sold at pharmacies regulated by the state failed this year after a veto threat from Gov. Martin O’Malley (D)....

Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring said the state is moving toward taking a “more rational” approach to marijuana, and the passage of the two ballot issues in other states will help with that.... The voters are moving faster than the politicians on the issue, Raskin said. “This is not dangerous politically to be talking about anymore,” he said....

[Brinkley] said he was criticized by a fellow conservative senator who opposes medical marijuana.... I told him I was just trying to create another cash crop for the tobacco farmers in his district,” Brinkley quipped.

MARYLAND IS AN OUTLIER AMONG DEMOCRATIC STATES - Wikipedia has a map showing how states have proceeded on marijuana (see below). You can see that once again, the west coast and northeast parts of the United States are once again proving to be the kickstarters for progressive reform:

The map above does not show that Maryland is an outlier compared to the United States -- but it does show that Maryland is an outlier compared to Democratic strongholds. WTF?

JuiceBlender: Push For MD GOP Chair Alex Mooney to Resign, Councilmember Leventhal Eyes MoCo Exec & Marijuana Reform

Maryland Juice knew that many political machinations would be on hold pending the outcome of the Presidential election. But now that Obama has been re-elected, things are ramping up again. Below we highlight a few examples of post-election organizing, starting with some calls for housekeeping within the Maryland Republican Party:

JUICE #1: CONSERVATIVES CALL ON MD GOP CHAIR ALEX MOONEY TO RESIGN - Last week we noted that conservatives activists were grumbling on Twitter about Chairman Alex Mooney's botched management of the Maryland GOP. Now they are beginning to get serious about it. Four editors at the rightwing blog Red Maryland published a column calling for Mooney's resignation. Meanwhile, several knowledgeable Maryland Juice sources indicate that conservative activists are quietly mobilizing a coalition to re-define the Maryland Republican brand. We shall see where this all goes soon enough, but in the meantime enjoy this short snippet from Red Maryland's scorching full article (excerpt below):

RED MARYLAND: When former state senator Alex Mooney won the race for MGOP chair ...  his biggest drawback ... was that he saw the position of MDGOP chair as a place holder position....

While MDGOP was mired in $120,000 debt, he was busy raising $108,00 for a 2012 congressional campaign to replace Roscoe Bartlett....

The defeat on questions 4 through 6, and to some extent question 7, lies squarely on Alex Mooney.  Instead of organizing and raising money to win those races, Mooney was busy helping Roscoe Bartlett get shellacked by 20 points....

We have no confidence in Alex Mooney’s leadership.  He must go. Now.

Note that one Red Maryland writer disagreed with the calls for Mooney to resign, stating "this is a bad idea that will result in nothing good, but we are the Maryland GOP and that is our nature." It remains to be seen whether the anti-Mooney forces in the GOP will prevail. If they do, Mooney's ouster as Republican Party Chair might prove an embarrassing start to a potential run against soon-to-be Rep. John Delaney in 2014.


JUICE #2: MOCO COUNCILMEMBER GEORGE LEVENTHAL FUNDRAISING FOR 2014 EXECUTIVE RUN - The 2014 Montgomery County Executive's race has been quietly stirring for several months now. But now that the Presidential election is over, we expect to start to seeing a trickle of announcements from prospective candidates. The Examiner's Rachel Baye today carried a quote from At-Large Councilmember George Leventhal indicating that he is fundraising for a 2014 Exec run. See the excerpt below, but note that at most recent check Maryland Juice also heard rumors of potential runs from the following District Councilmembers:  Phil Andrews, Roger Berliner, and Valerie Ervin. Additionally, the names of former County Executive Doug Duncan, former Councilmember Steve Silverman, and Delegate Ben Kramer continue to generate rumors of activity. Back to The Examiner's tidbit below:

EXAMINER: ...Montgomery County Councilman George Leventhal is already looking ahead to 2014. The at-large Democrat is throwing himself a 50th birthday party Monday that will double as a fundraiser for his campaign for Montgomery County Executive, Leventhal told The Washington Examiner

JUICE #3: MARIJUANA BACK ON MARYLAND'S POLICY RADAR - Though all eyes in Maryland were glued to the raging referenda battles over gambling, marriage equality and the Dream Act -- around the nation pundits were watching returns with a broader issue lens. Indeed, this year American voters around the nation affirmed a wave of laws protecting individual rights and liberties. Yes, this included marriage and women's rights -- but outside of Maryland it also included the now mainstream issue of marijuana legalization. The issue has been promoted through various lenses, ranging from a liberty and taxpayer waste issue, to a criminal justice reform issue with loud racial overtones. But Maryland Juice has been predicting the turning tide for months, and the recent marijuana legalization wins at state ballot boxes are creating demands for policy sanity within Maryland. After the election, Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks described the results of law enforcement and political idiocy on the issue (excerpt below):

DAN RODRICKS (VIA BALTIMORE SUN): [Arrests for marijuana possession] accounted for 43 percent of all drug arrests in 2011. So, just in case you were operating under the impression that the law had backed off the whole grass-possession thing, there it is: More than four out of 10 of all narcotics arrests made in United States were for people having marijuana in their possession.... So that's what our cops spend a lot of their time doing — arresting people for pot, hundreds of thousands of times per year....

On Tuesday, voters in Colorado and Washington made it legal to smoke pot without a prescription or a medical reason.

That's a breakthrough in the long stalemate in the public debate about the war on drugs — electorates in two states expressing what the American public has been telling politicians for a long time, that we spend too much money and manpower on chasing and incarcerating people who use drugs. It has been going on for 40 years. It hasn't decreased the demand for drugs, but it has led to an epoch of terrible violence related to the underground commerce, and it has filled our prisons....

MAJORITY SUPPORT FOR LEGALIZATION // SUPER-MAJORITY AMONG DEMS & LIBERALS: Again, demographic churning and the shifting importance of various birth cohorts is leading to surging support for an end to the anti-science War on Drugs. My personal hunch is that we are now at a convergence point in the timeline of political opinion, where a large chunk of young voters are in agreement with older voters who came of age during the 60's and 70's. Indeed, a very recent 2012 Huffington Post/YouGov opinion survey confirmed our hunch about the shifting attitudes:

HUFFINGTON POST: A solid majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana, either with or without taxes and regulations similar to those imposed on alcoholic beverages, according to a new survey conducted by YouGov for The Huffington Post.

The poll found that 51 percent of adults support legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol.... Only 26 percent of respondents said that marijuana should not be legalized.... Those under age 29 and between ages 45 and 64 were most likely to support legalization pure and simple...

The poll found more variation among people of different political parties. Sixty-four percent of Democrats ...  said they supported legalization with taxes and regulations. Overall, opposition was highest among Republicans, but even so, more Republicans favored one of the two legalization options (47 percent) than opposed legalization entirely (44 percent).

A Gallup poll conducted last year also verified new majority support for marijuana reform and noted that a whopping 69% of liberals support the legalization effort. Check out a few summary tables below:

CALLS FOR GOP TO SUPPORT DRUG REFORM THROUGH A STATES RIGHTS & LIBERTARIAN LENS: Though it appears that the base for marijuana legalization is Democrats and young voters, some on the right are beginning to point out the ideological ties between their views and pot reform. The writers at Red Maryland today pointed their readers in the direction of a post-election analysis from a writer at Reason.com (excerpt below):

REASON.COM: The short answer is that the GOP insisted on pushing backward-looking social issues in a country that is increasingly libertarian.... There’s no question that on broadly defined social issues such as immigration, marriage equality, and drug policy, Barack Obama has been terrible....

Similar dynamics hold true on issues such as drug policy.... Obama has raided medical marijuana dispensaries that are legal under state law without a second thought. Now that Washington and Colorado have legalized not just medical marijuana but all pot, the GOP should stay true to its valorization of federalism and the states as “laboratories of democracy” and call for an end to the federal drug war....

The GOP can lick its wounds and tell themselves whatever they want to hear—that it was the media's fault, that they need to be more religious, that they just need better candidates, or whatever. But until the party actually changes its positions on basic policy issues and articulates a clear and consistent role for limited government, it has nowhere to go but down.

MARIJUANA INITIATIVES DROVE SURGE IN YOUTH VOTE: On a more practical note, at least one writer at FireDogLake is pointing out that in states where marijuana was on the ballot this year, youth turnout surged. Compared to other states, the pot states witnessed between a 5x to 12x higher turnout increase among young voters:

CONCLUSION: BELIEVING IN THE WAR ON DRUGS IS LIKE BELIEVING IN SANTA CLAUS (AKA CHILDISH) - Indeed, for many ordinary Americans, belief in the War on Drugs has become as ridiculous as holding onto visions of Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. But just as with marriage equality, Maryland Juice believes that the public is way ahead of the arrogant and/or incompetent policymakers who are again unable to game out the rapidly moving shifts and trendlines in public opinion.

But a few Maryland politicos have (unprompted by me) mentioned a renewed interest in making the Free State a beacon of rational policymaking by pushing marijuana legalization/decriminalization and a broader overhaul of our criminal "justice" system. In the meantime, a White House petition on the issue is gathering thousands of signatures. Onward!