State Legislature May Halt Road Funding If Nashville Decriminalizes Pot

NASHVILLE, TN — A Sumner County lawmaker is threatening to withhold Davidson County's share of state road money if the Metro Council approves an ordinance drastically lowering the penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Rep. William Lambert (R - Cottontown), chairman of the House Criminal Justice Committee, told The Tennessean he is "strongly considering" a bill that would halt road funding for any cities which do not enforce state penalties for criminal violations. Essentially, it would penalize Nashville for a measure that would give police the choice to issue a $50 civil penalty to people found in possession of a half-ounce of marijuana or less. That bill, having been approved by the Metro Council on the crucial second of three votes, is up for its final vote Tuesday. A similar measure is making its way through the Memphis City Council.

Lamberth, a successful prosecutor in Sumner County, told the newspaper he has concerns the measure would create "a Russian roulette of justice" for the accused.

“It will create two standards of justice where at the whim of an officer, one person may face a $50 fine, the next person found with a small amount of marijuana could face up to 11 months and 29 days in jail.

“Not to mention the fact that they’re calling it decriminalization and they’re not erasing the state statute at all,” he told The Tennessean. “I mean literally this smells and looks like a political stunt to curry favor with certain constituencies in my opinion.”

Lamberth, whispered as a potential Congressional candidate if Rep. Diane Black opts to run for governor, drew praise during last week's special session for his tough questioning of now-former Rep. Jeremy Durham during the debate over Durham's ouster.

Davidson County received about $120 million in road funding from the state last year.

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