By Clark Corbin of the Idaho Capital Sun
The Idaho House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee, which oversees the Idaho House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee, voted on Thursday to keep a bill under review that would have created new $420 minimum mandatory fine for marijuana possession.
The vote of the committee prevented House bill 606 advancing to the Idaho House of Representatives floor for a vote. This likely killed the bill for the entire year.
The bill, if it had become law, would have imposed a minimum mandatory fine of $420 on anyone found guilty of possessing less that 3 ounces marijuana in Idaho. Rep. Bruce Skaug of Nampa, who was a co-sponsor, said that he supported the bill to send the message that Idaho is serious about marijuana.
Wyoming is the only state that has not legalized recreational marijuana or medical cannabis, like Nevada, Montana and Oregon.
But several lawmakers from both parties expressed concerns over the bill. Others said that the mandatory minimum fine took away a judge’s discretion. Some people said that the mandatory minimum fine could make it difficult for some people to afford food or housing after a conviction of low-level nonviolent drug use.
Clay Handy, R. Burley, stated during the meeting that “that’s the judges discretion” and he did not want to take away the discretion of the judges.
This article was originally published by Idaho Capital Sun.
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