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MARIJUANA REPEAL STALLS IN SENATE

A controversial bill that would repeal Montana's 2004 voter initiative permitting medical marijuana stalled Monday in a Senate committee.

The Senate Judiciary Committee deadlocked 6-6 on a motion to pass House Bill 161, sponsored by House Speaker Mike Milburn, R-Cascade.  Until Monday, the bill had seen relatively clear sailing, passing the House last month.

Five Republicans senators voted in favor of the bill, and were joined by Sen.  Larry Jent, a Democrat of Bozeman.  Four Democrats and two Republican -- Sens.  Chas Vincent of Libby and Terry Murphy of Cardwell - -- opposed the bill.

After the vote, Murphy, the chairman of the committee, appointed a three-member subcommittee to work on a bill to regulate the state's burgeoning medical marijuana industry.  Other bills remain in the hopper that also would accomplish that end.