Local legislators were sworn in for another two-year term Wednesday and said they face what could be a difficult session dealing with contentious issues.
Refining a law passed by voters that legalized recreational use of marijuana will be high on the to-do list, the lawmakers said.
Dealing with lower-than-expected revenue, possibly reforming the way education aid is distributed, and criminal justice reform will all be wrestled with, as well, they said.
Marijuana will certainly be one of the main issues, said state Rep. Betty Poirier, R-North Attleboro. You have to realize, this bill was written by the marijuana industry for the marijuana industry.
She said the Legislature has an obligation to make sure the law is balanced and workable.
Regulations also have to be written to dictate how the law will be implemented.
Personal possession and growing of marijuana became legal on Dec. 15, but the Legislature delayed retail sales and other provisions for six months to give the House and Senate a chance to address lingering issues related to it.
One of those issues is finding the right level of taxation to impose on marijuana.
The bill passed by voters last November calls for a 3.75 percent excise tax in addition to a 6.25 percent sales tax and gives cities and towns the authority to impose another 2 percent tax.
That means under current law marijuana will be taxed at 10 percent to 12 percent, depending on what cities and towns do.
State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and others have said that level of taxation will not produce enough revenue to pay for regulation and enforcement.
But, supporters of the bill contend raising taxes too high will encourage the continuation of black market sales.
Another tough issue to tackle in 2017 is criminal justice reform.
Recent studies have spotlighted the growing costs of incarcerating prisoners because of long mandatory sentences and the lack of drug treatment options and rehabilitation programs.
Politicians and experts across the state and the country have been studying the issue and a movement is underway to reduce sentences and put the cost savings from prisons into other programs.
State Rep. Paul Heroux, D-Attleboro, who missed Wednesdays swearing in because he is visiting Israel, is among those studying the issue. He is co-chairman of the Harm Reduction and Drug Law Reform Caucus.
He said the group hopes to pass legislation addressing the problem this year.
Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, also spoke on the issue.
He said inmates need mental health services and the state should improve its diversion programs and end mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses.
We should reform our bail and probation systems and shift away from a focus on long sentences and toward helping offenders re-enter society successfully so they never go back to prison again, he said.
Income inequity and the need for family leave should also be addressed, he said.
Rosenberg was elected to another term as Senate president and Rep. Robert DeLeo was elected to his seventh consecutive term as House speaker.
Both men are wrestling with what to do with efforts to increase education aid and reform how it is distributed at a time when state revenues are not as robust as expected.
A commission has recommended changes in the distribution formula for state money that goes to schools, but fully implementing the changes would cost an estimated $1 billion.
Legislators said they may try to find a way to phase in the changes so schools can get a fairer share of revenue.
This fiscal year, the funding increased only 2 percent, causing several school districts to lay off teachers.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Legalized Pot Dominates New Session On Beacon Hill
Author: Jim Hand
Contact: 508-222-7000
Photo Credit: Associated Press
Website: The Sun Chronicle
