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  Bowles Vows To Override Veto on Hemp Bill
Posted by FoM on August 05, 2001 at 09:00:12 PT
By Steve Whitworth, Telegraph City Editor  
Source: Alton Telegraph 

hemp State Sen. Evelyn Bowles vowed Saturday to fight for an override of Gov. George Ryan's veto of a bill she sponsored that would have allowed a study of industrial hemp's potential as a crop for Illinois farmers. Ryan announced Friday he had vetoed the legislation, arguing that other studies have settled the issue. "To put it mildly, I'm very disappointed," said Bowles, D-Edwardsville.

"I was not aware of any of these studies that were going to be done in the direction that we were looking, with the potential of developing an industrial hemp plant minus any THC," Bowles said. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in the marijuana plant, a close relative of the hemp plant.

Supporters of developing an industrial hemp plant have said that the tiny amount of THC in traditional hemp plants is too small for it to be smoked for a "high."

The bill had called for a five-year study of hemp's potential as a cash crop.

"We were not going to be using state funds," Bowles said. "We were soliciting funds from various industries and business outlets that are interested in pursuing this hemp study."

The hemp bill would have allowed the University of Illinois to grow the plant and study whether it could be raised profitably in the state. Meanwhile, Western Illinois University would have studied law enforcement issues raised by growing hemp.

Ryan said he vetoed the bill because other studies have convinced him that hemp would not be a successful crop. The move to grow hemp also "plays into the national strategy of groups seeking to remove existing criminal penalties for cannabis-marijuana," he said.

The Republican governor vetoed a similar bill, also sponsored by Bowles, earlier this year. The second version tried to address his concerns by studying law enforcement concerns and looking for ways to grow hemp with none of the mind-altering chemical found in marijuana.

Bowles said she would do "everything I can to work for an override.

"I feel that we need to do this study," she said. "Why continue to not know? That bothers me, to not want to know. I want to know things."

Bowles, who sponsored the bill in the Illinois Senate, said she would talk with its sponsor in the state House, state Rep. Ron Lawfer, R-Stockton, about organizing a veto override effort.

"We'll have to get our act together when we come back to Springfield for the veto session," she said.

Bowles said she believed that if all the lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill this year joined the veto override effort, it would succeed.

"If we can hold those people and maybe even garner a few extras, I think we can do it," she said. The bill would require approval by a three-fifths majority in both the House and Senate to override Ryan's veto.

Bowles said she didn't know whether Ryan's veto might have something to do with his possible plans to seek re-election. Ryan has said he will announce soon whether he intends to seek a second term in 2002.

"I think that Ryan feels that it's possibly a pretty hot issue," Bowles said.

Bowles said she felt compelled to try for the veto override.

"It's something that I've worked on so hard for so long," she said. "I've come at it from every direction I know to try to satisfy the questions. We'll see what happens."

The Associated Press contributed some information for this article.

Source: Alton Telegraph, The (IL)
Author: Steve Whitworth, Telegraph City Editor
Published: August 5, 2001
Copyright: 2001 The Telegraph
Contact: telegraph@primary.net
Website: http://www.thetelegraph.com

Related Articles & Web Site:

Hemp Links
http://freedomtoexhale.com/hls.htm

Gov. Ryan Blocks Hemp Study Again
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10526.shtml

Legislature Again Sends Ryan Bill on Hemp
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9680.shtml

CannabisNews Hemp Archives
http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtml


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Comment #8 posted by mayan on August 06, 2001 at 23:22:10 PT
Governor Ryan = Idiot
Bowles is too cool. She wears hemp sweaters quite often.

I beleive they can get the 3/5ths majority to overide this senseless veto.

Governor Ryan will not get my vote if he runs for re-election. He is a crook if there ever was one. Licenses for bribes & now this. What a dumb*ss! It amazes me that someone so ignorant can be elected to governor.

Save Hemp!
http://www.votehemp.com


[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #7 posted by StonyD on August 06, 2001 at 05:15:10 PT
Hemp for Victory
Ryan said he vetoed the bill because other studies have convinced him that hemp would not be a successful crop.


Someone should probably inform the Governor about this">http://www.cannabis.net/hempvict.html">this then.


[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #6 posted by Dave in Illinois on August 05, 2001 at 20:14:01 PT:

Forget 2nd Term
I live in Illinois and I have been following this bill closely. I have written Ryan many times about this bill and I got one response. In a nutshell it said I'm against Marijuana in any form. The closed mindedness of Ryan is scary. But he sees nothing wrong with selliong drivers liscense's for campaign money.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #5 posted by sm247 on August 05, 2001 at 13:16:24 PT
Ryans got No...
Maybe Ryan won't get a 2nd term because of his stand on hemp. Things do occasionally backfire in ones life hope it hits him right in the .....polls ...hehee

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #4 posted by reality on August 05, 2001 at 11:20:00 PT:

get a clue from somebody
The paranoid power structure is looks at industrial hemp as the first line of defense against legalizing MJ. They are parallel issues. Myself thinks it just shows their stupidity by fighting something the government encouraged during WW2. I think it is sad that the farmers have to suffer from the politicians stupidity. I mean it is not like the world doesn't have current experience with hemp.

Myself as soon as I can find a retailer that sells hemp clothing, I will be wearing it.

JUST SAY KNOW

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #3 posted by ekim on August 05, 2001 at 11:00:14 PT:

News Flash to Sen. Evelyn Bowles
Its not hemp that is the trouble its jailing Marijuana users or not jailing them as Gov. Ryan fears. Remeber in CA. when Gov. Wilson vetoed Med. use for two years before the people had to do the job. If Sen. Bowles would join with both groups they could over come Gov. Ryan in no time.

[ Post Comment ]
 
Comment #2 posted by Patrick on August 05, 2001 at 10:41:16 PT
I want to know things as well.
Will Illinois politicians unite and overide the veto?

If so, let the true light of Freedom in this country ring anew!

[ Post Comment ]

 
Comment #1 posted by aocp on August 05, 2001 at 10:29:25 PT
Say this five times fast
"I feel that we need to do this study," she said. "Why
continue to not know? That bothers me, to not want to
know. I want to know things."

If only ALL politicians had such cartoonish
lightbulbs going on above their heads, eh? Har-har.


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