The regular session is over. But the General Assembly could be called back to vote on several gambling matters. PROVIDENCE -- The General Assembly headed into the start of a summer recess just before 1:30 a.m. yesterday, finishing a session that may well be known as the year officials agreed to overhaul the state's public-employee pension system. Other notable votes this year by lawmakers included the approval of medical marijuana, new regulations to oversee the finances of nursing homes, and the resurrection of a planned phase-out of the state's much-hated car tax. [continues 1814 words]
And as the clock ticked toward a new fiscal year, the Senate also releases the state's $6.35-billion budget that was signed by Governor Carcieri. PROVIDENCE -- Working late into the night, weary lawmakers slogged on toward adjournment yesterday, battling over whether to institute new controls on prostitution and wine sales, confirming a new director of the state Department of Environmental Management and holding a Senate vote to override Governor Carcieri's veto of medical marijuana legislation. In voting 28 to 6 in favor of the override, senators rejected objections of Senate Minority Leader Dennis L. Algiere, R-Westerly, who said that while the governor supports "effective pain management techniques," marijuana is "an addictive drug" and the override would mean that "nearly anyone" in the state could grow the plant. [continues 1162 words]
Sponsors of the Medical Marijuana Legislation Say They Will Try for an Override, and Believe It Will Prevail. PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri yesterday vetoed legislation to legalize the medical use of marijuana in Rhode Island, saying the proposal's "noble goals cannot mask its serious safety flaws." "Our desire as public servants to be compassionate must be balanced by our obligation to ensure public safety," he said. "The flaws inherent in this bill will place our children at an increased risk of abusing marijuana . . . [and] give our citizens a false sense of security against criminal prosecution." [continues 643 words]
A spokesman for the governor says the hang-ups should not have occurred and are being investigated. At least two supporters of easing state laws to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes say they got the cold shoulder when they tried to express their views to staff at the governor's office last week. The callers, both women, had been contacted by the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington-based advocacy group pushing the Rhode Island legislation, which Governor Carcieri has said he would veto. [continues 497 words]
No Vote Is Taken on a Bill That Would Make Rhode Island the 11th State to Protect Patients, Their Caregivers and Doctors From Arrest Under State Drug Laws. PROVIDENCE -- Lawmakers with their own family stories of cancer treatments and patients who have suffered the agony of debilitating diseases stepped forward last night to urge a House committee to legalize the use of marijuana for medical reasons. But the bill, which appears to be gaining steam in both chambers of the Assembly, also drew opposition from both the Carcieri administration and state police, and concerns from a chief state court judge. [continues 1019 words]
An Opponent Says the Bill, Which Has Attracted Prominent Sponsors And Received Support at a Hearing Yesterday, Would Sanction Breaking The Law. PROVIDENCE -- Support is building in both the House and the Senate for passage of a bill to legalize the medical use of marijuana in Rhode Island, an idea endorsed by leaders of the General Assembly, the Rhode Island Medical Society and the Rhode Island State Nurses Association. In the House, 50 lawmakers have signed on to the bill, including Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox, D-Providence. The lead sponsor, Rep. Thomas Slater, D-Providence, said House Speaker William J. Murphy, D-West Warwick, had pledged his support. [continues 785 words]
A Senate Bill Lets Landlords More Easily Remove Apartment Residents If Drugs Are Found -- Even If The Tenants Have No Knowledge Of The Drugs. PROVIDENCE -- A divided Senate voted yesterday in favor of creating tough new sanctions against tenants for drug offenses, despite the opposition of advocates for low-income residents who rallied outside the chamber. The change would allow landlords to seek to immediately evict all the occupants of an apartment if drugs were found on or near the premises -- even if the tenant was unaware of the drugs' presence. [continues 638 words]
The Measure Would Permit Eviction Without Notice to the Tenant. PROVIDENCE -- A landlord could seek to evict a tenant without notice if there were drugs found in the rental unit, under a bill passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. The provision would apply whether the tenant knew of the drugs' presence or not. In cases where a landlord must give a tenant notice of a problem under state law, the tenant has 20 days to fix the problem rather than face eviction proceedings. In cases where no notice is required, the landlord could go straight to court. [continues 797 words]
One Arrested For Marijuana Possession, Three Cited For Youth Tobacco Misdemeanors At Frigid Festival Hash Bash, the annual Ann Arbor rally to support the legalization of marijuana, was in full force Saturday afternoon, drawing a crowd that event organizers estimated reached 3,000 to 4,000 people. Carrying signs declaring "Hemp for Peace" and "Smoke pot not Iraq," community members, University students and out-of-town participants protested both the war on drugs and the war on Iraq at the 32nd annual event. [continues 406 words]
Although Lawrence officials have rejected attempts to bring a needle exchange program to this city, some local addicts appear to be getting clean needles from the state anyway. The addicts may be commuting to programs in Boston and Cambridge, then returning to Lawrence with both the needles and state-issued cards identifying them as study participants, police say. Lawrence police, who began encountering a handful of people carrying the needles and the cards last month, are trying to determine how to handle the situation, Sgt. Anthony F. Palmigiano said. [continues 438 words]
