County Supervisors Make Push To Legalize Marijuana: Report

RACINE COUNTY, WI — Two Racine County Supervisors are calling for the legalization of marijuana with the intention of using tax revenues to support specific community projects. The supervisors are encouraging the public to attend two County Board meetings this month to weigh in on the issue.

Racine County supervisors Nick Demske and Fabi Maldonado are proposing an advisory referendum to call for legalization of cannabis for use of any adult over the age of 21 for recreational purposes and medicinal purposes. The two County Supervisors are calling for the substance to be taxed with the funds earmarked for public education, health care, and infrastructure.

On Tuesday, August 7, the Racine County Governmental Services Committee will meet at 6 p.m. to discuss whether Racine County residents will have the opportunity weigh in on the issue of cannabis legalization via the advisory referendum. In the event the committee approves the advisory referendum, it will next head to the Racine County Board for approval. A vote by the full board would likely be scheduled for Tuesday, August 28, the supervisors said.

Maldonado said community members are welcome to come to speak in favor of or against this advisory referendum during the Committee session on Aug 7 and the County Board meeting on Aug 28. The meetings will be held in the County Board auditorium in the Ives Grove Office Complex, 14200 Washington Ave.

In 2017, Maldonado along with the former Racine Green Party gathered more than 5,200 signatures in order to decriminalize cannabis to $1 forfeitures.

“The former Racine Green Party collected more signatures in two months than people voted for Alderman, in the City of Racine, in the 2016 and 2017 elections. I promised my constituents and the people who live in Racine County that I would fiercely fight for cannabis reform. The people have already spoken twice in favor of cannabis reform in Racine County," Maldonado said in a prepared statement. "In 1990, The City of Racine decriminalized cannabis to $200 forfeitures, although our local law enforcement chooses to still ignore our local laws and follow state law."

“Whether you are for or against legalizing cannabis right now, you will be able to find plenty of articles from plenty of sources that will agree with your personal bias,” Demske said in a prepared statement. “What this referendum is about is cutting through all that: the noise of the national argument about cannabis and ... we want to prioritize the voices that should matter most to us, the voices of the people of Racine County."

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