On Thursday June 21, county board executive committees in Dane and La Crosse counties advanced measures that would place cannabis legalization advisory measures on county ballots Nov. 6.
In Dane County, the cannabis advisory referendum resolution introduced by 6th District Supervisor Yogesh Chawla passed out of the Executive committee on a unanimous 5-0 vote. The next stop is the full Dane County Board meeting July 12.
The La Crosse Tribune reported La Crosse County Board's Executive Committee voted Thursday to move ahead with consideration of two advisory referendums on the Nov. 6 ballot, one on marijuana legalization and one on transportation funding options. County staff has been directed to prepare resolutions to put the questions on the ballot, with the full board voting in July on putting them before voters. The La Crosse question wording is still being tweaked but would read something like this: "Should cannabis (marijuana) be legalized in Wisconsin for use by adults 21 years or older, and be taxed and regulated like alcohol?"
The Green Bay Press Gazette reported June 20 that a group of Brown County supervisors proposed Wednesday night that the county add an advisory referendum to the Nov. 6 election ballot. Erik Hoyer, a supervisor who represents part of Green Bay's east side said he will co-sponsor a proposal from Ashwaubenon Supervisor Alex Tran requesting that a question be placed on the ballot."It's mostly to get the pulse of the community, ask the community how they feel about potential legalization," Hoyer said.
Meanwhile, WeAreGreenBay.com reported Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel was in Green Bay on Thursday June 21 and responded to a question about the advisory referendum proposal by saying, "We should be tapping the breaks and making sure that we don't get ahead of science before we make these decisions."
In Winnebago County on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, an attempt by Supervisor Aaron Wojciechowski to introduce an advisory referendum did not pass but will be reconsidered at next month's meeting according to a post on Facebook.
In Rock County, efforts by Supervisor Yuri Rashkin to place an advisory referendum on Nov. 6 Rock County ballots are continuing. Rashkin presented his advisory referendum to the board chair as a "proposal for resolution" on June 14. The referendum will need to be approved by the Rock County Boards and its committees by August 28th to make the November ballot. The proposed wording of the Rock County question would be:
"Should cannabis be legalized for adult use, taxed and regulated like alcohol, with the proceeds from the taxes used for education, healthcare and infrastructure?"
A resolution for an advisory referendum on cannabis legalization is also being planned but is not yet on the agenda in Marathon County (Wausau).
