Michigan voters will decide in November if marijuana for adult use should be legalized. Both the State Senate and House of Representatives adjourned today without taking up a pending medical marijuana initiative. The State Board of Canvassers decided in April that activists had turned in enough signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot. Lawmakers had a 40-day deadline to take up the issue. That deadline passed today without action from either legislative body.
Lawmakers had three options. They could pass the initiative with the option to amend it later; write another proposal to compete with the initiative; or do nothing. They chose the third option, meaning the initiative will be on the November ballot.
Political Parties Differ On Strategy
Some Republicans wanted to pass a legalization bill to keep the initiative off November’s ballot. They saw passing a bill as an opportunity to lessen voter turnout. Progressive ballot propositions like cannabis legalization efforts tend to encourage voters to come to the polls. Consequently, conservative issues and candidates have a smaller chance of success.
Republican Political consultant Dennis Darnoi thought the bill idea was a viable strategy. He told reporters that more voters at the polls could make a difference in some races.
“I think it’s one of the issues that will drive turnout,” he said. “And in competitive state House seats, an extra 50 to 100 votes could swing an election.”
Party strategists decided to let lawmakers in the House see if they could pass a bill first. However, Republican Speaker of the House Tom Leonard told local media on Tuesday that he did not have the votes to pass the bill.
“There’s simply not support in the chamber to pass this