Vukmir for Grinch?
Madison: On Thursday morning, Madison NORML Examiner received a press release from a group calling itself the "Medical Marijuana Santas", titled, "Medical Marijuana Santas find Leah Vukmir 'NOT NICE': to deliver lump of coal at her holiday party/campaign fundraiser".
The release went on to note the following.
At a combined hearing before the Wisconsin Assembly's Public Health Committee and the State Senate's Health Committee on December 15th, Representative Leah Vukmir accused the Bill's sponsors and supporters of a hidden agenda of "legalizing" the medicine for general use. Finding the accusation unfair, the Medical Marijuana Santas will picket the fundraiser for her effort to move up to the Sate Senate.
MMJ Santas protest Vukmir's stance!
According to a post picket report from one of the "MMJ Santas", a group of up to 17 sign-waving medical cannabis patients and JRMMA supporters staged a 3-hour picket outside Leah Vukmir's Christmas Party fundraiser held at Alioto's Restaurant in Wauwatosa Thursday night.
While many entering to attend the Vukmir event were hostile, with some even flipping off protesters, the group did talk to several Vukmir supporters who disagree with her stance against medical marijuana. They also found support from union members meeting there for a different event.
MMJ Supporters outside Vukmir event.
The entire hearing including Rep. Vukmir’s grandstanding and taunts, along with supportive testimony from 48 patients and supporters can be viewed on Wisconsin Eye here.
As far as what is next for the JRMMA, the two committees, the Assembly Committee on Public Health and the Senate Committee on Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue must now consider the bill and hold a vote. These votes are not expected to occur until January 2010. In the meantime, the links above will take you to each list of committee members. If your Assembly Rep or State Senator is a member, please contact them and ask them to vote it out of committee as written, and enlist as many others as possible in doing so.
For more info: List of qualifying medical conditions included in the JRMMA. To send a prewritten letter, find additional details on the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, info on the Dec. 15 combined Health committee hearing, bill text and status, all the latest news and how you can help, visit JRMMA.org, IMMLY.org or MadisonNORML.org. Visit my Madison NORML Examiner articles archive. Photos courtesy of IMMLY.
Comments
There should be a strong message sent to the Congress & Senate is the will of the people have spoken & if they side with party line over compassion of the people they serve then they are only signing thier pink slip on the next eletion cause this movement is lobbied well and will do everything to see them voted O.U.T. !!
Vukmir AND her sidekick Strachota both were closed minded and self serving.
I watched the entire public hearing.
After doing what they could do ignore the presented facts, they left.
They were not even present for most of the patients testimony.
Vukmir's main concern was that her children may more easily have a source of pot.
Give me a break!
If they want it now, they can find it.
This bill will not make a difference to them.
But it will make a difference to the hundreds of people who are sick and hanging onto life by a very thin thread.
I encourage all constituents of Vukmir and Strachota to watch the hearing video, at least as far as to see the 'performance' of your representatives.
How can they serve as representatives of a committee when they walk in with closed minds, and leave before evidence is given.
They should be ashamed.
It's time for some new blood.
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