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SPR s Doug Nadvornick reports.
The Idaho legislature is a step closer to making it more difficult to legalize drugs such as marijuana.
A House committee voted Thursday to put a constitutional amendment before voters. It would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the legislature to allow the possession and use of drugs that are now considered illegal.
The proposal comes as advocates of medical marijuana have begun to collect signatures for a 2022 state initiative.
Several anti-drug advocates and law enforcement officers, such as Keith Graves, praised lawmakers for sponsoring the resolution.
“No state has thrived that has legalized marijuana or other drugs. States have increased drug use rates, increased juvenile drug use, increased emergency room admissions because of drug harm, and they have significant drug cartel activity and you have drug cartels in Idaho. These all add costs to the state and then drain valuable public resources. We don’t want you to become Calif
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Under this proposal, any attempt to legalize marijuana or other drugs would need two-thirds approval from both the Idaho House and Senate. Such a threshold is currently only required for procedural moves and passage of a constitutional amendment.
Rep. Gayann DeMordaunt (R-Eagle) said Idaho needs to protect its children and communities against drugs.
“We have to buttress our state against Oregon-style, and now Washington-style, drugs,” DeMordaunt said.
Many who testified Thursday, including ex-law enforcement, supported the proposed amendment. But Monica McKinley, who lives in Ada County, said lawmakers shouldn’t be tampering with Idaho’s founding document for this, even though she doesn’t like drugs or alcohol “of any kind.”