Medical Cannabis Bill LB 474 Fails in Nebraska by Two Votes Friday, 14 May 2021
Pending legislation in Nebraska that would have established a medical cannabis industry failed by two votes, a frustratingly tight margin for advocates. The vote needed 33 yes votes to pass, and only received 31, making it unable to break a filibuster. LB 474 is officially off the table.
Nicole Hochstein, a mother of a child with epilepsy, described herself as: “Devastated. Broken. In pieces because they literally voted my child’s life away” following the missed opportunity.
This isn’t the first time medical cannabis advocates in Nebraska have been let down. Back in September, the ballot measure to legalize medical cannabis through a vote was pulled by the Nebraska Supreme Court, who claimed the measure violated the single-subject rule. This was even after those supporting it had collected 196,000 signatures.
Anna Wishart pushing bill to legalize medical marijuana
Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart offered the Legislature one more chance to legalize medical marijuana and enact strict regulations over who could access cannabis and how it could be used.
If lawmakers decided not to advance her measure (LB474), she said, voters will almost certainly be granted the opportunity to consider a ballot initiative next year asking them to enshrine âthe right to cannabis for medical purposesâ into the state constitution.
âMake no mistake,â Wishart said on Wednesday morning, âwe will get the signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot. Weâve done it before in a global pandemic, and it will pass with overwhelming support in this state.â
It s beyond frustrating : Legislative measure to legalize medical cannabis comes up two votes short Share Updated: 10:23 PM CDT May 12, 2021 Share Updated: 10:23 PM CDT May 12, 2021
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Show Transcript IT IS DEVASTATING TO COME OUT TO THE ROTUNDA AND SEE THE FAMILIES WHO WOULD BENEFIT AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE WON’T HAVE MEDICAL CANNABIS LEGALIZATION THIS YEAR. ROB: NEBRASKA SENATORS STRIKE DOWN ANOTHER SHOT AT MEDICAL MARIJUANA. GOOD EVENING. I M ROB MCCARTNEY. JULIE: I’M JULIE CORNELL. 31 LAWMAKERS VOTED TO PUSH T DEBATE FORWARD ON SENATOR ANNA WISHART’S BILL, BUT IT NEEDED 33 VOTES. IT’S ANOTHER BLOW TO NEBRASKANS WAITING ON MEDICAL CANNABIS, BUT THEY SAY THEY’LL KEEP FIGHTING. ROB: OMAHA’S NEWS LEADER HAS TEAM COVERAGE ON THE VOT DAVID EARL LOOKS AT THE REGION’S TAKE ON THE ISSUE, AND WHY NEBRASKA MAY SOON BE THE LAST HOLDOUT. WE START WITH KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S EMILY TENCER IN LINCOLN ON WHAT’S NEXT IN THE PUSH FOR ME