Livingston County Commissioners Subcommittee Votes Down Anti-Recreational Marijuana Resolution

[Michael Komorn]

 

https://whmi.com/news/article/county-votes-down-anti-marijuana-resolution


Subcommittee Votes Down Anti-Recreational Marijuana Resolution

June 12, 2018

A proposed resolution opposing the recreational use of marijuana has
failed to pass a Livingston County subcommittee, following a tie vote.

The county’s General Government and Health & Human Services Committee
met Monday and discussed the proposed resolution, which asked the
Board of Commissioners to show their opposition to the legalization of
marijuana for general use, as well as encourage others to oppose the
issue through similar resolutions.

Committee members Bob Bezotte and William Green voted in support of
the resolution, as Bezotte stated residents looked to their officials
to take the lead on these types of matters. Dennis Dolan and Gary
Childs voted against the resolution, saying the issue will ultimately
be up to citizens in November’s election when they vote on a ballot
proposal that would legalize the possession and sale of up to 2.5
ounces of marijuana for personal use. As the committee’s vote was a
tie, the resolution failed and will not move forward as it stands.

Dave Domas, who represents the county’s 3rd district on the Board of
Commissioners, approached the committee during the meeting’s second
call to the public with some heated words. Domas told committee
members, "Anybody that votes against this issue doesn’t belong on this
board. Not now, not ever." The resolution previously came before the
county’s Board of Commissioners and Domas says it was then that he saw
many community members expressing opposition to the legalization of
marijuana, including several youth. He says the kids in attendance
were "victims of recreational marijuana and they didn’t want to share
that bad experience with anyone else", so they asked county officials
"to listen to them and act on their behalf.”

Childs defended his decision to vote against the resolution, again
staing he believes it’s up to Michigan’s residents to decide. He feels
the county has more important things to deal with, specifically naming
the opioid crisis. Childs also responded to Domas’ confronting the
committee, saying some of his information related to the ballot
proposal and potential law was "erroneous".

Domas later told WHMI he “…expected this sort of performance from the
board, based on the way they handled this resolution two weeks ago”,
claiming the committee refused to let it be presented.

Domas says he’s working on presentations he’d like to share with local
units of government that would “present the side of recreational
marijuana that people don’t understand”. He also says the community
shouldn’t be surprised to see a similar resolution make its way to the
Board of Commissioners, adding, “If it dies, a lot of stuff dies with
it, and we’re not gonna let that happen.”

 

[mishigami bear]

Quote

He says the kids in attendance were "victims of recreational marijuana and they didn’t want to share that bad experience with anyone else", so they asked county officials "to listen to them and act on their behalf.”

This was said with a straight face? If I had heard that live, I would have lost my decorum and burst out in laughter.