Testimony heard on bill penalizing pot laws
Published Feb. 18, 2005
A Senate education panel heard testimony about a bill proposed by a St. Charles lawmaker that would ban public schools from participating in Columbia sporting events because of the city's marijuana ordinances.
The bill, proposed in the state Senate on Jan. 19, would ban any elementary or secondary educational institution that receives state funds from participating in Columbia because of the city's "public policies regarding marijuana."
The bill was introduced by Sen. Chuck Gross, R-St. Charles, to publicly attack the city's marijuana ordinances, which direct misdemeanor marijuana possession charges to municipal court, allowing students convicted on those charges to remain eligible for federal financial aid.
The law also mandates anyone charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession not be fined more than $250.
Columbia is the only municipality in the state that meets the proposed bill's guidelines.
Although Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, the assistant minority floor leader, is not on the committee, he said he opposed the bill and would do what he could to prevent it from passing.
"You should not create legislation to fine a community for a decision the community made because someone in another section of the state does not agree with it," he said. "It is ridiculous to punish high school athletes because of an ordinance that over 70 percent of citizens passed."