Marijuana: Nebraska Legislature Passes Stiffer Decrim Penalties, Bill Heads to Governor's Desk
The Nebraska legislature Tuesday gave its approval to a measure that will increase the penalties for small-time marijuana possession in the Cornhusker state. Under Nebraska's current marijuana decriminalization statute, in place since 1979, first-time possession of less than an ounce of weed is punishable by no more than a $100 fine, $200 for a second offense, and $300 for a third offense.
Under Legislative Bill 844, the maximum fine for first-time possession of less than an ounce will be $300, $400 for a second offense, and $500 for a third offense. The measure would also increase the maximum penalty for possession of more than an ounce, but less than a pound. Under current law, violators face a $500 fine and up to a week in jail. Under the new law, the fine would remain the same, but the maximum jail sentence would increase dramatically to three months.
The bill was introduced by State Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilbur, who argued that fines should be increased because they are not as stiff as those facing minors caught possessing alcohol. In Nebraska, drinking under 21 can get you 90 days in jail and a $500 fine. The marijuana decrim penalties apply to both minors and adults.
Karpisek's reasoning must have appealed to his fellow legislators. The upward revision of decrim penalties passed on a 40-2 vote.
In 2006, there were 7,416 arrests and citations made for marijuana possession, sale and manufacture, according to the Nebraska Crime Commission. The commission did not break down those figures, but assuming roughly 90% of arrests and citations were for simple possession -- about the national average -- that means the state of Nebraska stands to see its pot fine revenues increase from somewhere around $600,000 a year to $1.8 million.
Nice racket.
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redditKarpisek can lick my stoner balls
Comment posted by Anonymous on Thu, 06/12/2008 - 12:23amHe actually said that marijuana makes people violent? Wow! What a fucking retard. Pot has been decriminalized since 1979 in Nebraska. I can't believe that some redneck from Wilber can over-turn that. this is going to cause a lot more harm then marijuana itself. In fact pot is harmless compared to alcohol. I just got charged with possession of under an ounce and having a pot pipe. I am not a criminal. I am a law abiding citizen who works in health-care. I pay my bills and yeah I smoke ganja in my leisure time. I prefer to get stoned then getting wasted and I'm not harming anybody. It's probably even safer then cigarettes. Now I can't get federal loans to go back to school and it's probably gonna effect my career in Health-Care. They should focus on the meth epidemic. I was so heated after discovering this was going on. I hope that mother-fucker gets alcohol poisoning and chokes on his vomit. Fuck him. I'm moving to Denver where people have some common sense.
- Stone 9
Wow. Lets keep cigarettes legal but harshen harmless pot !
Comment posted by Anonymous on Wed, 06/25/2008 - 3:43amI wonder when the cigarettes will be banned in the United States ? Oh and the drunk drivers to kill more innocent people. The effect of alcholism that causes dangerous situations on the road is illegal but yet alchohol is legal. Doen't make sense to me. Do Nebraskans have the right to vote against this or just the senators? In California cops (not all) pull bongs from the trunks of there cruisers and smoke pot ! I know because I smoked with them :) They rather see the harsher stuff illegal. It's the end of the world as we know it. I cant wait till the next civil war if we make it after bombing Iran now ! I have seen Nebraskan senators drunk and driving in Lincoln. They get pulled over by police and let go without any citation or arrests. Go senator power !!!
.org
Did my best
Comment posted by Anonymous on Mon, 04/21/2008 - 1:55pmI went and testified against this bill. When Sen. Karpisek introduced it, he claimed that teenagers in NE use marijuana because it is "less criminal" than minor in possession; and that marijuana makes people violent. He was advocating much harsher penalties that what we ended up with, and was supported by drug and alcohol treatment centers in his district (who also testified in favor of his bill).
I argued that increasing the penalties for non-violent adults to deter children was not properly tailored legislation, that marijuana does not kill anyone, that increasing its penalties assures that children will have greater access to it than alcohol, and that there are huge civil costs of marijuana prosecution that most young people are aware of. I spent a large amount of time answering questions about the loss of federal student loan funding for people who are convicted, since it appears that my state senators had no idea that existed. In fact, Sen. Karpisek referred to it in his closing remarks and essentially called me a liar.
I had hoped that there would be more opposition, but only two other people testified against it, and I didn't have time to organize a full-fledged attack. I went to the hearing wearing my suit, emphasizing that the increased penalties were in my business interests as a defense attorney, but morally I can't agree with them.
SusanK