Sen. Scott Fitzgerald: Will leader ignore majority mandate for MMJ?
MADISON: When AB554/SB368, the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act (JRMMA) failed to pass the Wisconsin Legislature in early 2010, it was not for lack of popular support. Polling in 2002 and 2005 had established support in the 75%-80% range.
Over the summer of 2010, IMMLY and Madison NORML made open records requests of a number of state lawmakers. In an earlier article I reported on State Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Milladore) and how her records revealed that two special interests, not her constituents, had decided her position. Lassa ultimately joined with Health Committee Republicans to kill the JRMMA.
Another lawmaker who was unhelpful was Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau). Fitzgerald, who served as senate minority leader in the 2009-2010 session, will be majority leader beginning Jan. 3, 2011. His brother Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) will be Assembly Speaker. Since 1993, the Assembly has been in Republican hands all but the 2099-2010 session.
In late July a request was made to Sen. Fitzgerald for “Phone logs and copies of correspondence from all parties who contacted your office regarding the medical marijuana bills AB554/SB368 the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act during the 2009-2010 legislative session.”
