|
Marijuana:
Maine
Governor
Wants
to
Increase
Fines
to
Pay
for
Narcs
5/27/05
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/388/mainefines.shtml
Maine Gov. John Baldacci
(D) wants marijuana-smokers to pay more for their own persecution.
In response to much ballyhooed (but yet to occur) cuts in federal funding
for state and local drug law enforcement efforts, Baldacci moved last week
to increase the civil fines for marijuana possession violations.
The fines would also become mandatory. The money raised by the increased
fines would go directly to state law enforcement's drug-fighting budgets,
Baldacci's representatives told legislators May 19.
While the use and possession
of small amounts of marijuana has been decriminalized in Maine, those cited
for civil violations are currently hit with a minimum $200 fine.
Under Baldacci's proposal, that minimum fine would double to $400 and the
maximum fine would jump from $400 to $600. For a second offense within
a six-year period, the fine would increase from $400 to $600. And
just for good measure, Baldacci's proposal would also increase the fines
for drug paraphernalia violations, from $200 to $300, and make them mandatory,
too.
The changes would result
in $2.3 million in revenues for state drug law enforcement in the next
two-year budget cycle, said Baldacci's representatives. "Funding
that was available for drug enforcement agents was rather severely cut
back," Rebecca Wyke of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services
told legislators. "In order to make up for that, we looked at a proposal
to increase drug-related fines."
"Without these fines we would
be looking at abolishing the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency in fiscal year
2007," said Ryan Lowe, from the same department. "It's somewhat of
a balancing act. We're not raising money to put into the general
fund for an unrelated expense, these are directly related to funding the
drug enforcement agency."
Actually, we couldn't think
of a better state agency to be sunsetted.
-- END --
|
Issue #388
-- 5/27/05
Editorial:
Reasonable
Standards
|
Feature:
Federal
Bill
to
Rein
in
Anti-Drug
Task
Forces
Introduced
in
Response
to
Tulia
Scandal
|
"Drug
Tourists"
Provoke
Competing
Cries
for
Regulation,
Repression
in
Holland
|
Chances
of
Medical
Marijuana
Passage
in
Statehouses
Now
Focused
on
Northeast
|
Announcement:
DRCNet/Perry
Fund
Event
to
Feature
US
Rep.
Jim
McDermott,
June
1
in
Seattle
|
Weekly:
This
Week's
Corrupt
Cops
Stories
|
Marijuana:
Maine
Governor
Wants
to
Increase
Fines
to
Pay
for
Narcs
|
Congress:
House
Bill
Would
Let
"Victims"
Sue
Drug
Dealers,
But
Only
if
They
Snitch
|
Southwest
Asia:
Azerbaijan,
US
Sign
Anti-Drug
Agreement
Despite
Human
Rights
Abuses
|
Europe:
Swiss
Panel
Says
New
Drug
Policy
Should
Include
Alcohol,
Tobacco,
Opt
for
Pragmatism
|
Asia:
Thai
Drug
War
Now
Targets
Cocaine
|
Update:
Schapelle
Corby
Sentenced
to
20
Years
|
Weekly:
This
Week
in
History
|
Job
Listing:
Outreach
Coordinator,
Coalition
for
Higher
Education
Act
Reform
(DRCNet)
|
Weekly:
The
Reformer's
Calendar
|
This issue -- main page
This issue -- single-file printer version
Drug War Chronicle -- main page
Chronicle archives
|
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