Comments
Mijbr090490 OP t1_iwng56n wrote
That would be great. Along with a legislature that actually gets shit done instead of fighting constant culture wars.
On a side note, our medical program is basically recreational with a paywall.
PinsAndBeetles t1_iwnivgv wrote
Eh, don’t underestimate the PA state senate, which is still GOP lead, ability to ruin everything.
PPQue6 t1_iwnj0me wrote
The committee leadership is the biggest cock block atm. They can't even get the bills scheduled for a hearing. Until that leadership changes we won't see recreational cannabis.
Alternative-Flan2869 t1_iwnkrrd wrote
Let’s get working on legalization.
Mijbr090490 OP t1_iwnky3r wrote
There have been a couple republicans on the side of legalization. So even with the slim majority, it seems doable. Although the Senate might be our biggest hurdle.
orangesfwr t1_iwnllph wrote
For real. Anyone can get it with even the most basic reason like anxiety or depression...
...and that's a good thing! But might as well just eliminate the farcical checkpoint
bontakun82 t1_iwnmq94 wrote
Wouldn't it be great if everyone voted for politicians that actually give us what we want? No Republican would ever hold office again.
Silver-Hburg t1_iwnndea wrote
Maybe making a change requiring 2/3 majority is required for constitutional amendments so that the checks and balances of governor isn’t side stepped with laws
Not_jan13 t1_iwno5em wrote
Calling all republicans. Tell the PA GOP you want legal weed. We can do this one thing together!!!!
Mijbr090490 OP t1_iwnoc0b wrote
37 votes separate them. Don't ever think your vote doesn't count.
electric_ranger t1_iwnomb1 wrote
Having a Philadelphian as speaker might mean Harrisburg stops actively fucking with the city every chance they get.
Plus, having control of the state house means the GOP can’t send phony electors for 2024.
scotticusphd t1_iwnowz0 wrote
I wonder if the GOP candidates on the bad side of a close election will argue that undated ballots should be counted...
Honestly, they should be, but it's so upsetting that they double down on voter suppression when it suits them. They're terrible people.
electric_ranger t1_iwnp55v wrote
Sens. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, introduced a legalization bill this session, so if you can convince 5 more senators you have it
[deleted] t1_iwnpqfn wrote
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Still-a-VWfan t1_iwnqbpd wrote
If only the state senate GOP would think of all that tax revenue they could steal with legalization.
Mijbr090490 OP t1_iwnr3o5 wrote
The money they are getting from lobbyists representing police and prisons must be pretty good.
Mijbr090490 OP t1_iwnrg54 wrote
Reminds me of election week 2020. "STOP THE COUNT!!!" "KEEP COUNTING!!!"
Their attempts at undermining our election process are so obvious.
AlbertVonMagnus t1_iwnrhr2 wrote
Lolwut? You think Philadelphia is less corrupt than Harrisburg?
It's is literally one of the most corrupt cities in the country, ranking #7 on the number of corruption convictions alone which is an objective metric.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/jp3vak/is-philadelphia-the-most-corrupt-city-in-america
https://6abc.com/pennsylvania-news-philadelphia-politics-corruption-chaka-fattah/2164642/
Mijbr090490 OP t1_iwnrlyl wrote
They've been in control of the state for decades and no progress has been made. We are one of the most populated states in the country, you would think we would have our shit together.
kellyb1985 t1_iwnty8d wrote
Holy shit this. It's wild to me that a straight majority vote referendum gets something enshrined into the PA constitution. The levels for amendments for the US Constitution are high for a reason.
BonusUpbeat t1_iwnv3kf wrote
The only problem is that even if you get the minority and some Republicans to vote yes in the Senate. The Republicans in the Senate still decide which bills to bring up for a vote. So you can have 25+ senators to vote yes but it doesn't mean it will be brought before the chamber for a vote.
jesterwords t1_iwny22l wrote
Say goodbye to the GOP plan to put constitutional amendment to ban abortion in PA on the ballot next spring.
wellarmedsheep t1_iwnzlkg wrote
Cerrato called me personally and had legit thirty minute phone call with me about my take on things and why I should vote for her. I was super impressed with her.
She worked for every vote she got and deserves to be the clinching seat.
I do feel a bit bad for Todd Stephens. In a sane world he's just a moderate Republican who is prochoice and pro public schools, but his side chose the crazy train.
wellarmedsheep t1_iwo01fw wrote
I have friends who are Republicans. They are good people who are disgusted, along with the rest of us, how the Republican Party has leaned into fascism.
ksquad80 t1_iwo169y wrote
Unreal that we are fending off the fucking state legislature subverting the Will of the People.
TheTwoOneFive t1_iwo45fc wrote
This will help get it through though - it's one thing for a governor to say "I'd sign a legalization bill", it's another for them to say "The house has passed a bill, I want to sign it, but the one thing stopping it is the Senate Republicans refusing to bring it to a vote."
Hopefully there is enough pressure to get it brought up in the Senate.
meara t1_iwo4pom wrote
They’ve been in control for years, and instead of fixing the darned roads, replacing bridges and keeping the state humming, they waste time trying to outlaw abortion, defund Philly services, overthrow electoral results, etc.
EveryLivingLine t1_iwo87pm wrote
Unless you're in your 80s I think it's a lock it will happen soon-ish.
I do wonder if it will happen federally in my lifetime (I'm 38). I'm leaning towards yes.
EveryLivingLine t1_iwo8dyr wrote
"On a side note, our medical program is basically recreational with a paywall."
Maybe so but people can still be denied jobs for testing positive. Also, I work for county government. If I would get tested I guess I'd be fired. As far as I know though I only get tested if in an accident while driving a county vehicle, so pretty unlikely. This wouldn't go away though if PA legalized it... it would need to be legal on a federal level.
BonusUpbeat t1_iwo9dxt wrote
Or the Senate can bury it in some other piece of legislation.
[deleted] t1_iwo9e1u wrote
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shillyshally t1_iwobrzt wrote
If people haven't learned this in this election, they never will. We blame politicians for so much but we elected them and people who did not vote elected them as well by sitting on the sidelines.
pa_bourbon t1_iwodkrj wrote
Imagine the military grade equipment the PSP could buy when they divert the weed tax to them.
dmriggs t1_iwog6z1 wrote
There is something called gerrymandering and voter suppression just so you know
w0rstn4m33v3r t1_iwogjgc wrote
> military grade
the military goes with the lowest bidder, a.k.a. cheapest
mtelesha t1_iwoji98 wrote
It's not that much money it is political suicide to be seen as weak on crime. So we end up with crazy three strikes your out laws via Bill Clinton.
liverbird3 t1_iwomdnf wrote
I had friends who were republicans.
They believed in election fraud, abortion bans, privatizing all K-12 schools and were routinely racist
I don’t know man
[deleted] t1_iwox1tt wrote
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Electrical-Wish-519 t1_iwoyh5k wrote
You realize that all the money in the state coffers comes from the blue areas? If we just kept money at the county level based on what people paid in taxes, you’d have worse schools, roads and other infrastructure almost immediately
PM_Me_Your_WorkFiles t1_iwoz7pz wrote
In what way have rural Pennsylvanians been fucked with by democratic state government?
[deleted] t1_iwozout wrote
More-Researcher696 t1_iwozt5i wrote
Ooh Maybe now we can all get a fat stimulus check ! For those of you that don't know State of Pa. Has been sitting on 2 billion dollars of grant free stimulus money from the federal government N we weren't able to get the bill past for stimulus checks bc we had Republicans claiming the house majority. The state has till 2024 to disperse the funds or give it back to the federal. Gonna pray extra n maybe even say a novena !!!!
[deleted] t1_iwoztup wrote
GraffitiTavern t1_iwozyby wrote
Fuck off. I'm also from rural PA, and I don't see how it should be Harrisburg's right to fuck with a democratically elected municipal official. Your republican shitheads are the ones who chronically underfund schools to funnel rural and urban areas into low-wage jobs. You talk about being left alone, but your right-wing authoritarians are the ones forcing your views on the people who suffer in our communities and the state at-large. But that'll change. The hills are seeing the light, blue swing in every rural part of the state. We'll fund our schools and take back our communities from the right.
[deleted] t1_iwp0kdj wrote
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GraffitiTavern t1_iwp1348 wrote
Motherfucker, I grew up here. I'm not leaving and I am fighting like hell to keep you people from destroying my region and my state. You're probably a carpetbagger from New York or something. I will never let corporate power to take over our state politics, and I won't let the Republicans destroy the nature on which we depend. Maybe you should consider moving to Florida or Texas.
[deleted] t1_iwp1h76 wrote
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ho_merjpimpson t1_iwpb66q wrote
Anyone... Unless you have a gun carry permit. Or, or or or.
There are a lot of people that can't just get it as easily as many think.
lunabelle22 t1_iwpfnj1 wrote
Not to mention they are the third highest paid state legislators in the country behind only NY and CA with another raise coming this year, yet they do fuck all for us. We didn’t even have a Dem on the ballot in my district because who wants to throw away their money to run here? Flipping the House is a delightful surprise, though.
artful_todger_502 t1_iwpfp27 wrote
I'm proud of my birth state! Go PA! Sometimes I wonder why I left, and this is one of those times.
JKsoloman5000 t1_iwpfwwx wrote
Bold of you to assume that the Senate gives a fuck about the desires of their constituents.
Limp-Adhesiveness453 t1_iwphrkn wrote
Yep, it's 20x times harder to register to vote in PA now than it was when I left the state 14 years ago. I moved back 3 weeks before the cutoff to register, and couldn't believe how much stuff I had to have, including bills at my address, which I still haven't gotten yet, since they lag usage by a month. I had the turn all my bank/credit accounts off of paperless in the hopes they got here.in time, but they didn't, so I couldn't register. They require two Bills, dod not accept my change off address from usps or bank statement. My guess is, this is will also make it much harder for young people to register especially if they move from out of state
cgamgee t1_iwpkj7s wrote
Huh that's really annoying. I'm 20 so my first election was 2020 and luckily registering for the first time wasn't nearly as complicated if my memory is correct.
[deleted] t1_iwpnqe4 wrote
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psufan34 t1_iwpobna wrote
Yea, the GOP would rather that money go into their own pockets rather than to fund public services and education.
Yelloeisok t1_iwppibn wrote
What is even crazier is how much we pay them for a part-time job. Everyone needs to ask their Representative how much they are being paid and ask why they won’t raise the minimum wage - is it because they own/run companies that pay minimum wage, so they would only be hurting themselves?
Limp-Adhesiveness453 t1_iwpqxbp wrote
From moving out of state I'm sure it's different
electric_ranger t1_iwpuk9f wrote
Will be very interesting to see what happens once more states have legalized it than not. Currently 21 have legal recreation marijuana and 10 more have legal medical marijuana.
Canopenerdude t1_iwpxfl3 wrote
That's really strange. When my wife registered it was literally just 'go online, fill out form about who you are, print it, sign it, drop it off'. And that was I think 4 years ago?
Canopenerdude t1_iwpxub2 wrote
> In a sane world he's just a moderate Republican who is prochoice and pro public schools, but his side chose the crazy train.
Yeah it's kinda strange. Several of the GOP from the previous 10-15 years in my area I met personally, knew them from community stuff, talked to them in passing. Fine, normal people (other than Perry of course who has always been a wackjob weirdo). But the GOP is so fringe now that they either bought the crazy train or are stuck running behind it.
Canopenerdude t1_iwpy5lo wrote
For a lot of us, it seems like the Republicans hate us. Especially us in the LGBT+ community.
Tyrone-Rugen t1_iwpycr8 wrote
Were you doing it while getting a drivers license? That sounds like the list of requirements for the new "Real ID"
Admiral_pumpkin t1_iwpyqh7 wrote
Penn is a corrupt shit hole.
KFCConspiracy t1_iwpzb6l wrote
Sure there is, but the courts have been reducing the amount of gerrymandering in Pennsylvania, which is why these races are so competitive.
a-german-muffin t1_iwq0nc6 wrote
Eh, cheapest that can deliver to spec. It's not like they're building F-22s out of tinfoil and plywood.
a-german-muffin t1_iwq0zi0 wrote
Those are requirements to get a driver's license, not to register to vote. It's easier to fill out the voter registration form if you have a DL/ID, but you don't need one.
106473 t1_iwq3xza wrote
No one wants facts
w0rstn4m33v3r t1_iwq4g1v wrote
Being former Air Force you might have picked the worst example to justify your argument. The F-22 went way above budget because it kept breaking.
a-german-muffin t1_iwq516v wrote
I mean, I could've picked the KC-46, but that just seems unfair.
But yeah, the Raptor's got it's problems — but none are because it's built cheap to begin with.
Patiod t1_iwq5arc wrote
Stephens seems like a nice guy, experienced, and was going door-to-door touting his not-conservative bone-fides. But it was like, dude, if you're with me on all my issues, why the hell are you still caucusing with the same men who were down causing trouble on Jan 6? Still hanging with the likes of Mastriano? And in the end, when it comes to a close vote on abortion, are you going to stick with what you told your (heavily Democratic) constituents, or are you gonna vote with your party?
Patiod t1_iwq5u0k wrote
I worked to defeat Jon Fox (the country's dumbest legislator) for a Congressional seat many years ago and the vote difference was ELEVEN. Like, that's enough votes that one person could have gotten out enough votes to make a difference. ELEVEN. And Congressional districts represent around 750K people.
Top_File_8547 t1_iwqike2 wrote
Yes the GQP are just nihilists who want to block everything except tax breaks for the rich.
AnotherDaveFella t1_iwqomdq wrote
Reddit's pretty echochamber-ey, this subreddit is no exception.
DiaDoo t1_iwqql00 wrote
Sen. Mike Regan put out a cosponsorship memo too. He is the chair of the Senate law and justice committee. I think the key would be for leadership to be willing to move it.
electric_ranger t1_iwqrlh5 wrote
It would seem like an easy win, but I wonder how focused Corman will be on denying Shapiro easy wins.
Limp-Adhesiveness453 t1_iwqsqj8 wrote
Right, but that one you needed to print out and fax a form or something
Limp-Adhesiveness453 t1_iwqsvi7 wrote
Possibly, but when you're moving from out of state, it forced me down that path on the website
a-german-muffin t1_iwqt5ls wrote
Nope, you can do it online, through the mail, in person at a county registration office, or in person at one of various state offices (including PennDOT when you're getting a license).
DiaDoo t1_iwqvklr wrote
Corman is retiring. Kim Ward will be president pro tempore.
electric_ranger t1_iwr1gt1 wrote
Oh... joy. Glad Dems took the house because she would have been 100% on board with phony electors. She's already an election denier.
dmriggs t1_iwr3xh0 wrote
Exactly. There is so many underhanded things going on, and for the most part voters are turning out in droves. some states make it nearly impossible to register for some people.
Limp-Adhesiveness453 t1_iwr5dpf wrote
Not for moving from out state, unless the website is so poorly designed. I tried multiple ways and tomes, and without a PA driver license, there's only one way. I didn't have enough time to get a DL with work and moving before the deadline.
a-german-muffin t1_iwr6avf wrote
Only complicating factor I can see is that you were previously registered, moved out of state, then came back. You can literally be homeless without any ID and register to vote.
Mijbr090490 OP t1_iwr78br wrote
Gotta love republicans who drafted the bill for mail in voting not allowing the state to count ballots before election day. Smh.
JacoDaDon t1_iwr7alz wrote
These races are so competitive because entire democrat households are now voting regardless of if the people living in the house care or not. Not like anyone’s checking the signatures anyway. Got some voting age kids still living at home who don’t care about politics? In the past these kids wouldn’t vote at all. Now mom fills out their ballots and sends them all in. Exactly the way the chick on The View admitted to doing in NY. Voted & signed for her son who was out of state.
JacoDaDon t1_iwr7ucg wrote
Well why should they? Can’t you see the potential impact knowing who’s winning and by how much before Election Day arrives? C’mon kid. Clean out your ears so your brain can’t get some air.
zerooze t1_iwr7y5r wrote
Then why are they still in that party?
[deleted] t1_iwr8hho wrote
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underscore5000 t1_iwr8wuo wrote
Certainly love to see sources on this outside of "I saw the chick on the view say something once."
Mijbr090490 OP t1_iwr9g2e wrote
Florida does it.
zerooze t1_iwr9hdl wrote
If they are ok with electing racists.. hate to tell you they are racists too. If they vote for people who want to take away my rights to control my body... then they want to take away my rights too.
[deleted] t1_iwra5oi wrote
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Mijbr090490 OP t1_iwra9mf wrote
Yeah, the US house. Not the PA house.
Limp-Adhesiveness453 t1_iwridwe wrote
I hit like 10 complications trying to register. I've been registered in 3 states, none were nearly as complicated/impossible/poorly explained
RedPhilip666 t1_iwriklu wrote
Please God.
bcarter3 t1_ix7c6l4 wrote
"via Bill Clinton"
I know the DSA crowd around Bernie Sanders loves to blame everything bad on Bill Clinton, but the Three Strike law was passed by the Senate with 95 senators voting in favor. Two Democrats and two Republicans voted against it, and one senator didn't vote.
Bernie Sanders himself voted for it in the House of Representatives, so I guess you can blame him for this "crazy three strikes your [sic] out law".
mtelesha t1_ix7q6ju wrote
Well it was Bill Clinton as the leader of the DNC and also signed the law into effect. He still claims it was a good bill and blames local and state governments.
https://www.factcheck.org/2016/04/bill-clinton-and-the-1994-crime-bill/
bcarter3 t1_ixai3ma wrote
I believe you misunderstand how government works.
The President is not the leader of the DNC. In 1994-1995, the Chairs of the Democratic National Committee were David Wilhelm, (1993–1994), and Debra DeLee, (1994–1995).
The DNC does not set policy for the Democratic party, nor does it dictate how a member of the party must vote.
As mentioned in my original post, the Three Strike law was passed by the Senate with 95 senators voting in favor. Even if the President had wanted to veto the bill, which he did not, any veto would be easily overridden by the nearly unanimous members of the Senate who supported the bill, and seen as an attempt to deny the will of the people.
mtelesha t1_ixb024n wrote
I think you fail to understand that the chair of any political party is in charge of anything passed in legislation. At most they set up party's platform.
Bill Clinton was super proud of this legislation. He claimed victory.
bdschuler t1_iwnfqa6 wrote
I am starting to have some hope that legalized recreational might be possible in PA in my lifetime. Would love to see it.