Three GOP State Senators Willing To Trade Marijuana Support For Fiscal And Public Safety Reforms
Senator Declan O’Scanlon
Three Republican State Senators, including Monmouth County’s Declan O’Scanlon are willing to vote to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey if Governor Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney deliver the return of the Energy Receipts Tax to municipalities, a dedicated 911 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund, funding for addiction recovery services and a guaranteed reimbursement fund for municipalities paying to train police officers as Drug Recognition Experts who can assess if a driver is impaired by cannabis, according to an article on NJ.com
Senators Christopher “Kip” Bateman of Somerset County, Chris Brown of Atlantic County and O’Scanlon believe they can get “unimaginable spending reforms” from Murphy and Sweeney in exchange for voting to legalize recreational pot, according to the NJ.com piece that was first published by NJ Cannabis Insider, also an NJ Advanced Media property.
In a phone interview with MMM, O’Scanlon said, “We have an opportunity to be at the table and win reforms that will make a difference for taxpayers while mitigating the public safety concerns that legal marijuana will create.”
Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin has not weighed in on the GOP senators’ proposal.
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Believe they can get spending reforms from Democrats, I’ve got a bridge to sell them. Besides, O Scanlon already screwed us with the gas tax bill, which provides for future increases like we seem to be faced with.
I do hope the Chairman should find a replacement for him on the ballot when his term us up.
They need to obstruct any and all Murphy agendas. Whether the ideas make sense or not, dig in, don’t give an inch. Compromise is for the weak.
I am sooo disappointed with O’Scanlon. At one time I thought he had a future but I now feel a good primary challanger coild beat him easily. He drank the Koo Aide of giving away the store for a “promise” that can and never will be delivered by Sweeny. Sweeny will promise anything that might get him to the “Big Chair”…..and O’Scanlon and Bateman have fallen for it,
They should just change their voter registrtation andstop trying to ,islead the public
Challenge him. It’d be worth the price of the campaign just to see signs reading Pass The Bong.
This development does not surprise me one bit. Senator O’Scamlon has consistently screwed NJ citizens by voting for the gas tax and not opposing Murphy’s assault on the second amendment. If he thinks he can get a square deal from Murphy, he must be smoking some of the product that Muphy wants to legalize. O’Scamlon is just a self-serving politician. He is not a Republican and certainly not conservative. LD 13 should be represented by someone who gives a damn about the people. I hope someone challenges this guy in the primary. If he is on the ballot in the general election don’t pull a lever for him.