NY Senate Republicans kill marijuana decriminalization reform

Earlier this month, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced plans to decriminalize the possession of “small amounts of marijuana”, allegedly in part to put the brakes on New York City’s notorious “stop and frisk” policy. The proposed reform was widely supported, including by several district attorneys and even police officials like NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Cue the Republicans:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and the Democratically-controlled Assembly moved to reform the decriminalization law by removing the public possession provision with Assembly Bill 7620, but Monday night, Republicans and their Conservative Party allies in the Senate effectively killed it.

The Senate Republicans caved under pressure from Conservative leader Mike Long, who threatened to not allow any Republicans who supported the bill to appear on the Conservative Party line. The Senate then refused to take up the bill. That means the mass arrests, predominantly of young people of color, for what should, under state law, be only a ticketable offense, will continue, costing the state tens of millions of dollars each year.

There’s just no legislation so sensible and beneficial that these regressive assholes won’t do everything in their power to fuck it up, is there?

(via @todayspolitics)

Tags: New York • New York City • marijuana • pot • New York Senate • Andrew Cuomo • Republicans • GOP • NYPD • stop and frisk • Conservative Party • Mike Long • Assembly Bill 7620