[WardFive] Fw: PRESS RELEASE: Congressman Serrano on Congresswoman Norton’s Interpretation of D.C. Marijuana Provision and Plan to Offer Rules Committee Amendment

FYI.

 

Albrette "Gigi" Ransom

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Amar, Jonathan (Rep. Norton)" <Jonathan.Amar@mail.house.gov>
To:
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2014 3:16 PM
Subject: FW: PRESS RELEASE: Congressman Serrano on Congresswoman Norton's Interpretation of D.C. Marijuana Provision and Plan to Offer Rules Committee Amendment

Please see below.

Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2014 3:11 PM
To: Amador, Paola
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: Congressman Serrano on Congresswoman Norton's Interpretation of D.C. Marijuana Provision and Plan to Offer Rules Committee Amendment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congressman José E. Serrano

Representing the Fifteenth District of New York

PRESS RELEASE

 

 

For Immediate Release

December 10, 2014

 

CONTACT:    Paola Amador, (202) 225-4361

 

Congressman Serrano on Congresswoman Norton's Interpretation of D.C. Marijuana Provision and Plan to Offer Rules Committee Amendment

 

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman José E. Serrano, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, today released the following statement in support of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's (D-DC) interpretation that the D.C. marijuana rider included in the 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (Section 809 of Division E) does not block the enactment of D.C.'s ballot initiative 71 to legalize marijuana and her intention to introduce an amendment at the House Rules Committee later today:

"I completely agree with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's interpretation that the D.C. marijuana rider included in the omnibus appropriations bill does not prevent Washington D.C. from legalizing marijuana as the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee claims it does. The Harris D.C. marijuana rider approved in the House does prevent D.C. from 'carrying out' enacted marijuana legislation, but the rider included in the omnibus bill does not.  Instead, the language in the omnibus prevents the District from using funds to 'enact' any law, rule or regulation to legalize small amounts of marijuana for recreational use.  This is a substantive difference that would be given weight in a statutory interpretation of the provision.  Since it can be argued that D.C.'s initiative 71 is self- executing and that it was enacted when an overwhelming majority of voters supported it in the November elections, this means that Section 809 should not apply to the ballot initiative.

"Based on this premise, the government of the District of Columbia should be able to move forward with the legalization of marijuana despite the rider included in the omnibus bill. That said, to clear up any confusion on the issue, I also fully support Congresswoman Norton's efforts to offer an amendment in the House Rules' Committee today to strike the rider and to help ensure Washington DC's local laws and regulations ultimately prevail."

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Congressman José E. Serrano has represented The Bronx in Congress since 1990.