New Legislation Proposed to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession

New Legislation Proposed to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession

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Yes, this is actually happening in Delaware. Rep, Helene Keeley (my rep!) has sponsored HB 371, legislation that would allow Delawareans to possess less than an ounce of marijuana and makes public consumption of marijuana a civil (rather than criminal) offense. Should this pass, Delaware would join 18 other states and multiple municipalities in helping to de-escalate the War on Drugs. People with small amounts of marijuana are a wasteful target for law enforcement (unless, of course, they are suspects in other crimes) and it is well past time to refocus limited dollars and resources for law enforcement on the crimes that actually harm people or property. I support this effort. Here is the press release on this bill:
Why Wilmington Is Experiencing Financial Hardships

Why Wilmington Is Experiencing Financial Hardships

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That is the title of an opinion piece published in the NJ yesterday from Dace Blaskovitz -- a member (until very recently) of the WEFAC (Wilmington Economic and Financial Advisory Council). He's had an up close and personal look at Wilmington financial trends for quite a few years, and recently quit the WEFAC (this isn't news?) -- according to him -- after Mayor Williams announced he was going for a 9.9% property tax increase. His POV of Wilmington's financial woes is worth reading -- much of it is very familiar. I can't vouch for his numbers on the trends he discusses, but total payroll *has* gone up -- this is due not just to the hiring of people but also due to increased health care costs. That last one is true for most employers who provide health care benefits. Note also that most of the city employees have not had COLA increases in several years and I believe that all of the city's unions are working without a contract.