'Fiscally Irresponsible' GOP Lawmakers Kill Cannabis Legalization Amendment In Wisconsin Again

The Wisconsin Senate voted against two amendments to the governor’s budget bill that would have made marijuana legal.

What Happened: Last month, Republican senators removed more than 500 proposals including a cannabis legalization measure, proposals for paid family leave, and funding for Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium renovations. This made Governor Tony Evers’ (D) furious.

Afterward, Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard (D) tried to quickly push for marijuana reform again by introducing one omnibus amendment. This didn’t work out as well, as the GOP senators managed to kill this amendment on the floor Wednesday.

See Also: Wisconsin State Sen. Agard Leads Charge For Legal Marijuana, New Push For Fed Reform And More Pot Regulations

Why It Matters: Senator Agard commented on the news saying that this was "fiscally irresponsible."

Republicans just rejected #cannabis legalization in our state budget. Legalization will generate significant revenue in our state and our communities. While Republicans like to say they are the party of “fiscal responsibility,” rejecting this amendment is fiscally irresponsible. pic.twitter.com/fMaZkaoY0v

— Senator Melissa Agard 🌻 (@SenatorAgard) June 28, 2023

“We know that Wisconsin is continuing to be more and more of an island to prohibition in the Midwest,” Agard told Marijuana Moment. “We are falling behind in Wisconsin. We are more dangerous because of the prohibition of cannabis. We’re taking up the state budget today,” she added, and the state is experiencing a “real revenue loss by the fact that we continue to not legalize cannabis.”

Prohibition “continues to be very harmful to our state. It creates less safety,” Agrad said.

What’s next: In another tweet, Agard added that cannabis legalization is not a matter of “if” but “when,” and that 69% of Wisconsinites support full legalization.

Next Read: Scent Like Cannabis Is Reason Enough For A Legal Police Search, Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules

Photo: Courtesy of CRYSTALWEED cannabis on Unsplash