cannabisnews.com: House Rejects South Dakota Governor's Plan! 





House Rejects South Dakota Governor's Plan! 
Posted by FoM on March 07, 1999 at 14:22:13 PT
To Impose Mandatory Jail Time For Pot Offenses 
Pierre, SD: The House of Representatives tabled legislation yesterday that would have imposed mandatory jail sentences for all marijuana offenders, including children. 
The House deep-sixed the proposal despite heavy lobbying by Gov. William Janklow (R), who introduced the bill, and majority support from the Senate and House State Affairs Committee.   NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq. praised the House's decision to kill the proposal. "Marijuana smokers work hard, raise families, and contribute to their communities," he said. "They are not part of the crime problem and we should not treat them like criminals. This proposal would have needlessly wrecked the lives, careers, and families of thousands of otherwise law abiding citizens in South Dakota who smoke marijuana."   The House voted 40 to 29 to table the legislation.   Senate Bill 210 stated that any individual convicted of a marijuana violation shall serve ten days in jail. Janklow's initial proposal mandated a 30 day sentence for all offenders, but the Senate amended the measure before passing it 22 to 11 last month. The bill also appropriated $1 million to the Governor's office to pay informants up to $1,000 for evidence leading to arrest and conviction of anyone guilty of a marijuana violation.   "Rather than imposing harsh and mandatory jail sentences for minor marijuana offenders, we should develop a policy that distinguishes between use and abuse, and which reflects the importance we have always attached in this country to the right of the individual to be free from the overreaching power of the state," Stroup concluded.   For more information, please contact either Keith Stroup of NORML   (202) 483-5500 or South Dakota dairy farmer and local NORML coordinator Joe Stein   (605) 882-3936. 
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Comment #1 posted by Roy Breen on February 08, 2000 at 13:22:04 PT:
Blatantly Unreasonable
I fail to comprehend why ignorant and ruthless politicians insist on interfering with the progression and improvement of our nation.Millions of Americans believe marijuana should be legalized, and yet the government ignores the citizens' preferences and pursues the complete opposite. Everything is deteriorating in this regard, and for the very aspect of saving and conserving billions of needlessly spent tax monies.
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