Medical Marijuana &amp; Sick Time Legislation: This Week at the State House

Sen. Archambault, Rep. Slater bill would allow medical marijuana for PTSD

Sen. Stephen R. Archambault (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, North Providence, Johnston) and Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence) have introduced legislation that would add post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of conditions that may be treated with medical marijuana. The bills would add post-traumatic stress disorder to the definition of “debilitating medical condition” for purposes of qualifying for medical marijuana in the Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act.

Rep. Regunberg introduces earned sick time legislation

The Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act introduced by Rep. Aaron Regunberg (D-Dist. 4, Providence) would guarantee all Rhode Island workers the ability to earn paid sick time. The bill would allow Rhode Island workers to earn up to seven job-protected paid sick days each year. Workers would earn at least one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours per year.

Rep. Filippi bill would end practice of changing clocks twice a year

Rep. Blake Filippi (I-Dist. 36, New Shoreham, Charlestown, South Kingstown, Westerly) has introduced legislation that would have Rhode Island follow Massachusetts’ lead if it passes legislation under consideration there to move to the Atlantic Time Zone, which currently includes eastern Canada. The move is designed to eliminate the practice of changing clocks twice a year, and instead effectively leave Rhode Island in a state of daylight saving, but only if Massachusetts does likewise. If adopted, Rhode Islanders would see sunlight later into the evening in the winter.

Rep. Malik, Sen. Felag sponsor bills to rename road after fallen military hero

House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jan P. Malik (D-Dist. 67, Warren, Barrington) and Senate Special Legislation and Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Walter S. Felag Jr.(D-Dist. 10, Warren, Bristol, Tiverton) have introduced legislation that would rename Route 114 in Bristol to “The 1st Sgt. P. Andrew McKenna Memorial Highway.” Sergeant McKenna, a 17-year veteran of the Army and a Bristol resident, was killed in August 2015 while serving his country in Afghanistan.

Rep. Amore bill would stop abusers from disrupting victims’ utility services

Rep. Gregg Amore (D-Dist. 65, East Providence) has introduced legislation that would prohibit individuals served with protective orders relating to domestic assault from shutting off or disrupting utility services without prior court approval. Violations of the legislation will result in a misdemeanor harassment charge and a fine not exceeding $500.

Sen. Morgan bill would mandate E-Verify participation for some businesses

Sen. Elaine J. Morgan (R-Dist. 34, Hopkinton, Charlestown, Exeter, Richmond, West Greenwich) has proposed a bill that would require Rhode Island businesses with three or more employees to participate in the federal E-Verify program. The legislation would establish the E-Verify Compliance Act and would require all government and non-government employers within the state that have three or more employees to apply to participate in the federal program and agree to participate in the program if they are accepted.

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Rep. Marcello amendment would give Ethics Commission powers over Assembly

Rep. Michael J. Marcello (D-Dist. 41, Scituate, Cranston) has introduced legislation that will ask voters to decide — through a constitutional amendment — if the Ethics Commission should maintain jurisdiction over legislators’ votes and actions. The bill would put a question on the next general election ballot asking voters to decide if the Ethics Commission should be allowed an exception in the “speech in debate” clause of the Rhode Island Constitution that shields lawmakers from prosecution or civil suits based on their actions as legislators, such as proposing or voting on a bill.

Related Slideshow: Who Supports, Opposes Marijuana Legalization in RI in 2016

Supports

RegulateRI

Jared Moffat with RegulateRI pointed to Colorado’s regulated marijuana system generating more than $135 million in revenue in 2015 -- as well as potential competition from Massachusetts if they legalize marijuana first -- as reasons for Rhode Island lawmakers to act on the legislation this year.

“Vermont and Massachusetts, we should be well aware of the fact that they're moving seriously towards legalization,” said Moffat. “We've had the debate for five years now -- and it's coming. The question is now do we want to get ahead of the curve. Our hope is that now that tolls vote happened, that this will be the next thing that fills the void."

Opposed

Rhode Island Medical Society

"Legislatively, we have nine point policy on drugs, and the last one is we don't support legalization. It's not specific to marijuana, but it's the closest the [American Medical Association] comes to policy," said Steve DeToy, RIMS Director of Public Affairs.

"We support medical marijuana. Taxing the patient isn't something we'd support, but if it's for regulating an unregulated supply system, we support that," said DeToy. "Rhode Island has two types of suppliers, one is the compassion centers that have had strict oversight, and the other is the caregivers' side which hasn't had the same level of protections and oversight at this time."

NAACP Providence Branch

Supports

NAACP Providence Branch President Jim Vincent serves on the RegulateRI coalition -- and offered the following:

"The New England Area Conference [of the NAACP] voted in favor of the legislation. It continues to be an issue that tears apart our community, this war on drugs. It's a key factor why our community is suffering, when we can be keeping people out of jail for something that can be regulated," said Vincent.

"Legalization is many issues -- it's social justice. for others its medicinal, they for others its a tax raising issue," said Vincent. "I'm staying on the social justice."

Opposed

RI Taxpayers

"Marijuana will be the next great debate. With leadership unwilling to address their broken culture of inefficiency and questionable ethics, they will look to any source for future funds that will not impact the current culture," said RI Taxpayers' Larry Girouard. "Tolls, pot, gambling and other initiatives do not require leadership to change anything. They just tap new funding sources."

"When you have the most hostile business climate in the continental US, one would think there would be ample examples of things leadership might initiate to improve our business climate. Of course this would mean that leadership would need to make a few unpopular decisions, something that they seem unwilling to do. Name one thing that leadership has done over the last 5 years that demonstrates that they are really serious about changing Rhode Island’s abysmal anti-business brand. It is easier to create new sources of income, like tolls," said Larry Girouard.

Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity

Neutral

"Our statement is we're not 'pro' or con until we do more research," said Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity CEO Mike Stenhouse. "Our question is, if it's a lot like alcohol, and supporters say why don't we just tax it like that, then do we think more 'alcohol' for young Rhode Islanders is a good or bad thing?"

"When government in its voracious appetite for new revenue considers legislation that could arguably provide great societal or individual harm, you have to consider the pros and cons," said Stenhouse. "We'd have to look at Colorado and other states for the impact there."

"As for [taxing] medical marijuana, if we're taxing it simply as a revenue source, it's government out of control," said Stenhouse. "And if we try and overregulate, we know there's a huge black market for cigarettes already in Rhode Island."

RI Progressive Democrats

Supports

"We support a legalize, tax, and regulate approach," said Sam Bell with the RI Progressive Democrats."

As for the Governor's proposal to tax medical marijuana caregivers and patients?

"We have not taken a formal position, but I would imaging the majority of our group would be opposed," said Bell.

Supports

RI Libertarian Party

"Continuing to waste resources on enforcing the prohibition on the consumption of marijuana, the moral equivalent of a good bourbon, is like flushing taxpayer dollars down the drain," said Pat Ford, Chairman of the RI Libertarian Party. "If adults want to use marijuana in the privacy of their home, why shouldn't they be allowed to do so without fear of prosecution?"

"The War on Drugs is a consummate failure that has crossed our nation billions of dollars through the combined cost of interdiction and incarceration, exacerbated racial tensions, inspired a narco terrorist fueled refugee crisis and been the root cause underlying several public health crises," said Ford. "Waisted lives and wasted resources will be its sole legacy. The legalization of cannabis can begin to bring this madness to an end."