MADISON, Wis. (AP)—The push to legalize marijuana in Wisconsin enjoys some bipartisan support, but backers of bills that would make it legal for either medical or recreational use say it won’t happen this year.
Still, the top Democrat in the state Senate said Wednesday that Wisconsin is closer than it’s ever been to loosening its marijuana laws. Every neighboring state has legalized marijuana to some degree.
kAm“x ?6G6C E9@F89E x H2D 8@:?8 E@ =:G6 E@ D66 E96 52J[ 3FE H6’C6 24EF2==J E2=<:?8 C62=:DE:42==J 23@FE >2C:;F2?2 C67@C>[” s6>@4C2E:4 $6?2E6 |:?@C:EJ {6256C y2?6E q6H=6J D2:5 2E 2 >66E:?8 @7 E96 (:D4@?D:? r@F?E:6D pDD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 3:==D 7C@> s6>@4C2ED 2?5 #6AF3=:42?D E92E H@F=5 =682=:K6 >65:42= >2C:;F2?2[ 7C@> s6>@4C2ED E92E H@F=5 2=D@ =682=:K6 :E 7@C C64C62E:@?2= FD6[ 2?5 2 3:A2CE:D2? >62DFC6 E92E H@F=5 564C:>:?2=:K6 E96 A@DD6DD:@? @7 >2C:;F2?2]k^Am
kAm$E2E6 #6A] |2C< $AC6:EK6C[ s\q6=@:E[ 96=5 2 AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 :? pF8FDE :? 7C@?E @7 E96 $F??JD:56 |2C:;F2?2 s:DA6?D2CJ :? $@FE9 q6=@:E[ x==:?@:D[ ;FDE 24C@DD E96 DE2E6 =:?6 7C@> (:D4@?D:?[ H96? 96 42==65 7@C E96 =682=:K2E:@? @7 >2C:;F2?2 :? (:D4@?D:?]k^Am
kAm$AC6:EK6C[ 2=@?8 H:E9 #6A] s2G:5 q@H6?[ s\|:=H2F<66 2?5 $6?] |6=:DD2 p82C5[ s\|25:D@?[ H6C6 AC@>@E:?8 2 >2C:;F2?2 =682=:K2E:@? 3:== E96J 2FE9@C65] %96J D2:5 =682=:K:?8 >2C:;F2?2 :? (:D4@?D:? 4@F=5 86?6C2E6 23@FE S`e_ >:==:@? :? E2I C6G6?F6 7@C E96 DE2E6] %96J 2=D@ ?@E65 E96 AC@D64FE:@? @7 >2C:;F2?2 @776?D6D 2C6 >@C6 =:<6=J 2>@?8 q=24< 5676?52?ED]k^Am
kAmx==:?@:D =682=:K65 C64C62E:@?2= FD6 @7 >2C:;F2?2 7@C 25F=ED :? a_`h] x? a_a_[ x==:?@:D 4@==64E65 23@FE Sa_d >:==:@? :? E2I C6G6?F6 7C@> >2C:;F2?2 D2=6D]k^Am
kAms6>@4C2E:4 v@G] %@?J tG6CD =2DE J62C AC@A@D65 =682=:K:?8 >2C:;F2?2 :? E96 DE2E6 3F586E[ 2 AC@G:D:@? C6>@G65 3J #6AF3=:42?D H9@ 4@?EC@= E96 {68:D=2EFC6] qFE E92E 92D?’E DE@AA65 E96 4@?G6CD2E:@? 23@FE 92G:?8 (:D4@?D:? ;@:? E96 bf DE2E6D E92E 92G6 =682=:K65 >65:42= >2C:;F2?2 2?5 E96 `g E92E 92G6 7F==J =682=:K65 :E[ :?4=F5:?8 x==:?@:D 2?5 |:49:82?] (:D4@?D:?’D @E96C EH@ ?6:893@CD[ x@H2 2?5 |:??6D@E2[ 2==@H >65:42= >2C:;F2?2]k^Am
kAmq6H=6J D2:5 E96 3:A2CE:D2? 5:D4FDD:@? 23@FE =@@D6?:?8 (:D4@?D:?’D >2C:;F2?2 =2HD :D 2 “46=63C2E:@?]”k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 86E :E A2DD65 E9:D J62C[ 5@?’E 86E >6 HC@?8[” D96 D2:5] “qFE H6’C6 24EF2==J E2=<:?8 23@FE :E :? G6CJ C62=:DE:4 2?5 4@?4C6E6 E6C>D] %96 724E E92E H6’C6 E96C6[ H6 H6C6 ?@E E96C6 2?5 H6 92G6?’E 366? E96C6 7@C J62CD[ 3FE 7@C D@>6 C62D@? E96C6’D 52J=:89E] %92E’D H92E H6 92G6 E@ 42A:E2=:K6 @?]”k^Am
kAm%96 3:886DE :>A65:>6?E E@ =@@D6?:?8 >2C:;F2?2 =2HD 2AA62CD E@ 36 #6AF3=:42?D H9@ 4@?EC@= E96 DE2E6 $6?2E6] %96J 92G6 ?@E D9@H? 2 H:==:?8?6DD E@ 492?8:?8 E96 =2H 2?5 $6?2E6 |2;@C:EJ {6256C s6G:? {6|29:6F 92D D2:5 E92E =682=:K2E:@? D9@F=5 36 E24<=65 2E E96 7656C2= =6G6=[ ?@E 3J E96 DE2E6D] #6AF3=:42? pDD6>3=J $A62<6C #@3:? '@D 92D G@:465 DFAA@CE 7@C >65:42= >2C:;F2?2]k^Am
kAmp5G@42E6D 492?8:?8 (:D4@?D:?’D =2H 2C6 9@A:?8 E@ 2E =62DE 92G6 2 AF3=:4 962C:?8 E9:D J62C @? 2 3:== :?EC@5F465 3J #6AF3=:42?D E92E H@F=5 >2<6 >65:42= >2C:;F2?2 =682=]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D ?@E 2 #6AF3=:42? :DDF6 2?5 E9:D :D ?@E 2 s6>@4C2E :DDF6[” D96 D2:5 H96? :?EC@5F4:?8 96C 3:== =2DE >@?E9] “(96? J@F =@@< 2E E96 >2A @7 DE2E6D H96C6 >65:42= >2C:;F2?2 :D =682=[ J@F H:== D66 4@?D6CG2E:G6 DE2E6D =:<6 u=@C:52 2?5 $@FE9 s2<@E2 2?5 >@C6 =:36C2= DE2E6D =:<6 r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 }6H *@C< @776C:?8 2 4@>A2DD:@?2E6 @AE:@? 7@C E9@D6 H9@ ?665 C6=:67] xE :D E:>6 E@ 92G6 E96 4@?G6CD2E:@? ]]] :? E96 DE2E6 @7 (:D4@?D:?]”k^Am
kAmu6=K<@HD<: :?EC@5F465 E96 D2>6 3:== =2DE D6DD:@? 3FE :E 5:65 H:E9@FE 2 962C:?8] $96 D2:5 E96 AC@A@D2= H2D HC:EE6? :? 2 =:>:E65 H2J—:E 5@6D?’E 2==@H 7@C D>@<:?8 >65:42= >2C:;F2?2[ 7@C 6I2>A=6—:? @C56C E@ 82:? DFAA@CE 7C@> #6AF3=:42? =2H>2<6CD] p 4@>A6E:?8 s6>@4C2E:4 >65:42= >2C:;F2?2 3:== E92E 4:C4F=2E65 E9:D H66< H@F=5 2==@H 7@C D>@<:?8 :E]k^Am
kAmu6=K<@HD<: D2:5 96C 8@2= E9:D J62C :D E@ 86E 2 962C:?8 D@ E92E =2H>2<6CD 42? 962C 7C@> E96 AF3=:4]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 >2EE6C @7 86EE:?8 E96 4@?G6CD2E:@? DE2CE65[” D96 D2:5 2E 2? @?=:?6 7@CF> %F6D52J 9@DE65 3J (:D4@?D:? w62=E9 }6HD] “!6@A=6 @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 2:D=6 2C6 :? 72G@C @7 :E[ A6@A=6 @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 2:D=6 2C6 282:?DE :E] (6 ?665 E@ DE2CE E96 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ =6E E96 AF3=:4 H6:89 :? @? :E 2?5 4@>6 @FE H:E9 E96 36DE A:646 @7 =68:D=2E:@? :? E96 6?5]”k^Am
kAm{2H>2<6CD ?665 E@ AFE E96:C A@=:E:42= A2CEJ 2D:56 2?5 E2=< H:E9 @?6 2?@E96C E@ C6249 28C66>6?E[ D2:5 s6>@4C2E:4 $6?] |6=:DD2 p82C5[ @7 |25:D@?[ E96 49:67 AC@A@?6?E @7 7F== =682=:K2E:@? :? (:D4@?D:?]k^Am
kAm“%92E :D ?@E 92AA6?:?8 2E E9:D A@:?E[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm{682=:K2E:@? @7 >2C:;F2?2 :D?’E 2 >2EE6C @7 :7 :E 92AA6?D[ 3FE H96? 2?5 9@H[ p82C5 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%@ >6[ E96 56G:= :D :? E96 56E2:=D[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmk6>mq6=@:E s2:=J }6HD DE277 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D DE@CJk^6>m]k^Am
Let the news come to you
Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.
Explore newsletters