California’s legal weed industry can’t compete with illicit market

LOS ANGELES — California’s cannabis market is booming nearly five years after voters legalized recreational weed. But there’s a catch: the vast majority of pot sales are still underground.

Rather than make cannabis a Main Street fixture, California’s strict regulations have led most industry operators to close shop, flee the state or sell in the state’s illegal market that approaches $8 billion annually, twice the volume of legal sales.

Local government opposition, high taxes and competition from unlicensed businesses are complicating California’s push to build a thriving legal market. Many of those factors are baked into California law, including rules allowing city leaders to shut out licensed cannabis enterprises. Meanwhile, the state has relaxed penalties against illegal operations in the name of racial justice.

Infighting between industry groups and lobbying dysfunction in Sacramento have stalled potential legislative fixes, with no clear end in sight. The scale of those problems has California’s iconic cannabis industry — the legal side, at least — lagging behind other states that have regulated the market.

“You don’t have a real cannabis industry if the dominant portion of it has no interest in being legal,” said Adam Spiker, executive director of the Southern California Coalition, a cannabis trade association. “There’s no other regulated industry in the world that I know of that operates like that.”

Licensed cannabis shops offering legal goods are sparsely scattered across the state — there are roughly 2 per 100,000 people, one of the lowest rates in the nation among states that support legal recreational sales.

By comparison, Oregon has 17.9 retail shops for every 100,000 residents. Colorado boasts a similar ratio, and Washington state’s rate is more than triple California’s.

California has just 823 licensed brick-and-mortar cannabis shops, but close to 3,000 retailers and delivery services operate in the state without a permit, a February 2020 market analysis by Marijuana Business Daily found.

The unchecked cannabis ecosystem has caused major economic and environmental damage in California. Many of the state’s estimated 50,000 illegal cultivation sites have been found to use banned pesticides that can poison wildlife and water supplies and are believed to account for hundreds of millions of gallons in water stolen from farms and neighboring communities each year.

Law enforcement agencies in the last few months alone have broken up sprawling grow operations in the arid Antelope Valley and urban Alameda County, discovering around 50 tons of processed cannabis goods and more than 100,000 plants, a haul valued well above $1 billion.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced earlier this week that the state had seized 165 weapons and more than 33 tons of infrastructure like water lines and toxic chemicals after conducting close to 500 raids this year.

“The victims of illegal marijuana cultivation are many and the toll is severe,” he said during a news conference. “Families whose water supply is polluted by outlawed pesticides, exploited labor exposed to dangerous and illegal working conditions, farmers deprived of clean soil and water.”

California, like many states, has lowered its penalties on illegal marijuana businesses, a response to a disproportionate number of arrests targeting communities of color under drug criminalization. Many in the industry say they generally support criminal justice reforms, but that the current penalty of a misdemeanor and $500 fine is simply too low to dissuade illicit activity.

Unlicensed dispensaries shuttered for city code enforcement violations often pop up again, sometimes right down the street. And cultivation sites like the one raided in Antelope Valley often resume operations just days later, law enforcement officials concede.

Every state establishing a legal market has had to contend with illicit operations, but the underground market in California is far more entrenched. Many of today’s unlicensed businesses legally served customers for decades under the state’s medical marijuana laws that passed in 1996 but went underground after voters approved the recreational pot initiative Proposition 64 passed in 2016. Some operated in cities that banned weed sales, while others balked at the new regulatory fees and taxes.

The new law forced longtime business owners to make tough decisions, said Elizabeth Ashford, vice president of communications at cannabis delivery company Eaze.

“They were totally allowed under the law just minutes ago,” she said looking back to when the new regulations were established. “Did anybody really think those folks would just be like, ‘Well okay, we’re just going to close our doors’?”

California’s cannabis law lets local officials decide whether to open the door to cannabis or slam it shut. So far, most are opting for the latter.

A whopping 68 percent of California cities ban cannabis retail, including wide swaths of the Central Valley. Other areas have imposed strict caps on the number of available licenses, limiting market growth.

San Diego has just 25 pot shops for a population of 1.4 million; San Jose has 16 stores for 1 million people.

Some local officials say the industry harms children or argue dispensaries would attract crime. Others point to the difficulty of drafting ordinances, complying with strict environmental reviews and dealing with potential lawsuits from applicants who aren’t awarded licenses.

Public meetings in places like Mountain View in the Silicon Valley and Anaheim have devolved into hours-long marathons filled with protests and name calling when the topic of allowing cannabis shops comes up.

Spiker, who helps develop local cannabis regulations, said some elected officials fear a pro-cannabis stance could cost them their seats.

“Just because Prop. 64 passed in a community at say 60 percent, it doesn’t mean that the 40 percent that voted ‘no’ won’t organize a recall effort or a strenuous bid to get you thrown out of office your next election,” he said.

The dearth of retail stores — and legal shelf space — gives unlicensed businesses a large, unserved consumer base. It also contributes to an oversupply of goods produced by the state’s 6,000 licensed cultivators that has caused the price of wholesale cannabis to plummet, hurting legal growers.

“Local control has, let’s just be honest, crippled the California market and prevented it from reaching its potential,” said Hirsh Jain, founder of cannabis consulting firm Ananda Strategy.

Industry leaders say there is little chance state lawmakers will take away that power, largely due to fierce support for local control from law enforcement and city and county officials.

Citizen initiatives and Covid-related budget deficits have spurred some jurisdictions to open their arms to weed. By Jain’s count, 28 cities will open their first dispensaries in 2022 and 37 more that will pass a retail ordinance.

Businesses that manage to secure a license have another problem: competing with their unregulated competitors.

The price of cannabis products sold in legal dispensaries can be two to three times higher than nearly identical items sold in unlicensed shops, which aren’t subject to cultivation or excise taxes that drive up costs for retailers.

Some buyers see little incentive to pay more for a legal product.

“Price is the biggest motivator for consumer choice,” Ashford said. “We know that from our own data, there’s no question that if you make things less expensive people will buy them.”

The difference between the legal and the illegal is not always obvious. Underground dispensaries are often indistinguishable from licensed shops and sell similar-looking items that may be counterfeit or diverted from the legal market. Illicit delivery services are also listed right next to legitimate operators on platforms like Google and Yelp.

Regulators warn that products purchased from unlicensed retailers pose a public health risk, pointing to a rash of lung illnesses related to untested vape cartridges that killed 68 people and hospitalized more than 2,800 nationwide in 2019.

Pro-cannabis state lawmakers have tried unsuccessfully to slash the tax burden in the face of opposition from SEIU, the powerful union that helped bankroll the 2016 ballot measure. The union disagrees with the industry argument that reducing tax rates will spur growth and eventually boost tax revenue, said Robert Harris, a lobbyist for SEIU.

“I’ve never heard of an industry that didn’t say, ‘Reduce our taxes, we’ll sell more and you’ll make more,’” he said.

Leaders within the cannabis industry say finding a solution for the tax problem is their top priority for next year. Nicole Elliott, director of the state Department of Cannabis Control, telegraphed that they might get support from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who championed Prop. 64 while running for office in 2016.

“I imagine that the administration will be very happy to partner with the Legislature on those discussions,” she said.

But finding consensus on a tax plan will be challenging. There is disagreement, for instance, about whether a tax cut should happen on the cultivation or retail side.

Lawmakers and Capitol staffers say this disunity makes legislative fixes nearly impossible to pass and perpetuates the status quo. That’s a scenario the industry can’t afford, given “the overhead costs that the illegal guy doesn’t do,” Spiker warned.

“The divide between legal and illegal is too big a gap to overcome.”

Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/23/california-legal-illicit-weed-market-516868
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Nevada marijuana dispensary along Idaho border cleared to open

A marijuana dispensary in Nevada was cleared to open Wednesday, …

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/576008-first-nevada-marijuana-dispensary-along-idaho-border-cleared-to-open
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California cannabis growers face big threats. The potential damages go beyond the plant.

“It’s going to be tight. We’re going to be draining everything by the time this is over,” a cannabis cultivator who doubles as the fire chief said of his receding pond.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/drought-wildfires-create-new-challenges-california-cannabis-growers-n1277753
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Join NORML at the National Cannabis Festival in DC

This weekend, you can join the leaders of Delaware NORML, Maryland NORML, Virginia NORML, and multiple senior members of National NORML at the National Cannabis Festival in Washington, DC.

The post Join NORML at the National Cannabis Festival in DC appeared first on NORML.

Source: https://norml.org/blog/2021/08/26/join-norml-at-the-national-cannabis-festival-in-dc/
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Analysis: Marijuana Legalization Opponents’ Fears Have Not Come to Fruition in Canada

The analysis finds that there has been “no marked increase in cannabis youth by use” in the three-year period following legalization.

The post Analysis: Marijuana Legalization Opponents’ Fears Have Not Come to Fruition in Canada appeared first on NORML.

Source: https://norml.org/blog/2021/08/17/analysis-marijuana-legalization-opponents-fears-have-not-come-to-fruition-in-canada/
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House Marijuana Vote Delayed As The Senate Advances Veterans Access Amendment

Last week, the House of Representatives went into recess before taking up action on the FY-2022 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations package, which has historically contained protections for state-legal medical programs but in recent years, reformers have had increasing success in advancing efforts to expand those protections to adult-use programs as well.

The post House Marijuana Vote Delayed As The Senate Advances Veterans Access Amendment appeared first on NORML.

Source: https://norml.org/blog/2021/08/05/house-marijuana-vote-delayed-as-the-senate-advances-veterans-access-amendment/
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2022 Marijuana Reform Ballot Initiative Efforts Underway Nationwide

Here’s a breakdown of current statewide, citizen-initiated efforts so far.

The post 2022 Marijuana Reform Ballot Initiative Efforts Underway Nationwide appeared first on NORML.

Source: https://norml.org/blog/2021/08/03/2022-marijuana-reform-ballot-initiative-efforts-underway-nationwide/
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Louisiana: Marijuana Decriminalization Law Takes Effect Today

House Bill 652 amends state law so that offenses involving the possession of up to 14 grams of marijuana are punishable by a fine of no more than $100 – no arrest and no jail time.

The post Louisiana: Marijuana Decriminalization Law Takes Effect Today appeared first on NORML.

Source: https://norml.org/blog/2021/08/01/louisiana-marijuana-decriminalization-law-takes-effect-today/
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How to Cook Frozen Shrimp

A bag of frozen shrimp can be a lifesaver come dinnertime. If not properly prepared, however, your favorite seafood dishes can easily turn into a bland, watery mess. The key to cooking with frozen shrimp is to give them plenty of time to thaw before combining them with other ingredients. Once all the excess liquid has been released, you can throw your shrimp into a pot of boiling water, sizzling skillet, or preheated oven and cook them to perfection.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Thawing Frozen Shrimp

1. Pick up a bag of peeled, deveined shrimp. Starting with shrimp that have already been peeled and deveined will help you cut down on your prep time. If you prefer, you can also buy whole shrimp and peel them yourself later. Either way, all you’ll have to do to get them ready for the pot, oven, or skillet is thaw them out.^[1]
   
   • While shopping for frozen shrimp, check each package for a symbol reading “IQF,” which stands for “Individually Quick Frozen.” This means each shrimp has been frozen separately, which reduces clumping and improves flavor and texture.
   • It’s important that your shrimp be deveined. It’s practically impossible to devein shrimp while they’re still frozen or after they’ve been cooked, and it will take much longer if you wait until after they’ve thawed.^[2]
2. Place the shrimp in a colander or wire strainer. Snip open the bag and shake out the frozen shrimp into your colander or strainer. To ensure that your shrimp defrost as quickly as possible, be sure to break up any large chunks that have frozen together.^[3]
   • If you don’t have a colander or strainer, try leaving the bag sealed and running some cool water over it in the sink to thaw it. It’s time-consuming, but it will get the job done.
   • You can also place the exact amount of shrimp you want to cook in a separate resealable plastic bag before continuing if you don’t want to prepare the entire bag at once.
3. Submerge the colander or strainer in a bowl of cool water. Lower the colander into the bowl, making sure it fits comfortably and the water covers the shrimp entirely. Allow the shrimp to sit for 10-15 minutes, or until the last of the ice has melted.^[4]
   • To speed up the thawing process, leave a small stream of fresh water trickling into the bowl to continually replace the water that’s grown cold.^[5]
4. Transfer the thawed shrimp to a layer of folded paper towels. Remove the colander or strainer and shake it a few times to get rid of excess water, then pour the shrimp out on top of the paper towels. Fold one half of the absorbent pad over or use a separate towel to gently blot the shrimp and soak up any remaining moisture.^[6]
   • There should be no visible ice crystals or standing water on the surface of the shrimp when you’re done.
5. Heat the shrimp briefly to release any remaining liquid (optional). Add your thawed shrimp to a dry nonstick pan or pot of boiling water over high heat and cook them for roughly 2-3 minutes, or until they just turn opaque. The heat will cause the shrimp to shrink slightly, essentially wringing every last bit of unwanted moisture out of them.^[7]
   • While it’s not necessary to give your shrimp a preliminary warmup, it can be a useful step if you want to make sure they don’t make the dish you’re preparing soggy.

[Edit]Boiling Your Shrimp

1. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way up with water. Leave at the top of the pot to give the water plenty of room to rise as it reaches a boil. Be sure to choose a piece of cookware that’s roomy enough to hold all the shrimp you plan on cooking, along with your water. Your shrimp shouldn’t take up more than about 1/4 of the pot’s total volume.^[8]
   
   • To save yourself some time, let your tap run until it’s as hot as it can get before you begin filling your pot to increase the starting temperature of your water.
   • If you boiled your frozen shrimp to finish thawing them, you can skip straight to cooking them in the same water.
2. Bring your water to a high boil. Position the pot on one of your stove’s central burners and turn it on to medium-high heat. When the water begins to bubble steadily, it will be time to put in your shrimp.^[9]
   • Adding the shrimp before your water reaches a boil can lower its temperature, causing the shrimp to take longer to cook and leaving it rubbery as a result.
3. Add whole spices and other flavorings to your cooking liquid (optional). Sprinkle a generous amount of kosher salt into your pot to help season the shrimp. Then, throw in any other ingredients you want to use. For of shrimp, you might include 2-3 teaspoons (10-14 g) of cloves or peppercorns, or squeeze and drop in half of a lemon.^[10]
   • Fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, or cilantro can also be used to impart zesty, pungent, and savory notes.
   • Let your flavorings simmer for about 5 minutes in order to bring out their full flavor.
4. Boil your shrimp for 2-7 minutes, or until they begin to float. Smaller shrimp will typically only need to cook for 2-3 minutes, while larger ones may need closer to 5. Watch closely for a few shrimp to begin bobbing to the surface of the pot—this is a good sign that they’re done.^[11]
   
   • Stir your shrimp periodically as they boil to make sure they all heat evenly.
   • There’s no need to wait for all of your shrimp to float. Once you notice a half a dozen or so pop up, it will be safe to take them off the stove.
5. Drain your boiled shrimp thoroughly in a colander or wire strainer. Switch off the stove and use a pair of potholders or oven mitts to carefully lift the pot off of the burner. Pour the shrimp out into your colander or strainer, then give it a couple shakes to remove excess water.^[12]
   
   • If you’re making shrimp cocktail or plan on reheating your shrimp later, plunge them into an ice bath for a few seconds, then drain them again. This will prevent them from overcooking accidentally.^[13]
   • For maximum flavor, serve your boiled shrimp hot with melted butter and a dash of Old Bay Seasoning.
   • If you end up with uneaten shrimp, transfer them to an airtight storage container and stick them in the refrigerator. They should keep for up to 3 days.^[14]

[Edit]Broiling Your Shrimp in the Oven

1. Preheat your oven’s broiler. Set the broiler to high heat and give it at least 8-10 minutes to reach its top temperature—it needs to be nice and hot in order to give your shrimp a perfect crispy exterior. While it’s warming up, you can finish getting your shrimp ready.^[15]
   
   • You can also use a conventional bake or convection setting at around , though broiling your shrimp will improve their texture and help them cook faster.^[16]
2. Toss your shrimp in dry spices for a burst of added flavor. Mix up a quick seasoning blend using 3/4 of a teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 of a teaspoon of garlic powder and paprika, and 1/4 of a teaspoon each of cracked black pepper, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Stir your spices together in a large mixing bowl, then add your shrimp and toss them until they’re evenly coated.^[17]
   • Lemon pepper is another popular seasoning choice for broiled shrimp and similar seafood dishes.
   • The quantities of spices listed here should be just right for about of shrimp. If you’re preparing more or less, adjust your proportions accordingly.
3. Spread out your thawed shrimp on a nonstick baking sheet. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer so that there’s about of space between each. Make sure none of them are covering or overlapping the others.^[18]
   • Giving your shrimp some room to breathe will help them cook faster and more consistently.
   • Use a baking sheet or broiler pan with raised edges to prevent the shrimp from sliding off.
4. Broil the shrimp for 5-8 minutes, or to the desired doneness. Slide the pan onto the upper rack of your oven directly beneath the broiler, then close the door. Your shrimp won’t take long at all to cook through, especially under the intense heat of the broiler.^[19]
   
   • You’ll know your shrimp are done when they turn a pale pink color, with a small amount of visible browning around the edges.^[20]
   • If your oven has a light inside, switch it on so you can keep an eye on your shrimp as they cook.
5. Remove your shrimp safely from the oven using an oven mitt. Once your shrimp are done, open the oven, reach inside, and carefully take hold of the baking sheet. Rest the baking sheet on a nearby stove, countertop, or other heat safe surface to cool.
   • Allow your shrimp to cool for 2-3 minutes before serving them up. Avoid handling the baking sheet in the meantime, as it will be extremely hot.
   • Place your leftovers in an airtight container and put them in the refrigerator, where they’ll stay fresh for about 3 days.^[21]

[Edit]Sautéing Your Shrimp

1. Heat of oil or butter in a large skillet. Tilt the skillet in all different directions as it warms up to make sure your cooking surface is evenly coated. Wait for the oil to begin shimmering slightly before adding your shrimp.^[22]
   
   • For best results, choose an oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, peanut, or sunflower oil.^[23]
   • Be careful not to let your skillet get too hot, especially if you’re using butter. Doing so could cause your cooking fat to scorch, resulting in a burnt, acrid taste.
   • You’ll have the easiest time sautéing of shrimp at a time.
2. Add garlic or other aromatics to your oil for additional flavor. If you like, you can throw of minced garlic, sliced white onion, chopped parsley or shallots, or lemon zest into your skillet as it heats up. Cook your chosen ingredients until they just begin to soften and turn translucent.^[24]
   • Be careful not to overcook your aromatics, or they could cause your shrimp to taste burnt. They’ll most likely only need about 30-45 seconds in the skillet.
3. Add your shrimp to the skillet and sauté them for 4-5 minutes. They’ll begin sizzling as soon as they touch the hot cooking surface. Keep the pan moving or stir the shrimp constantly to make sure they heat evenly. In a few short minutes, your shrimp will take on a soft pinkish-white color and a slightly crispy outer texture.^[25]
   • Feel free to dust your shrimp with about 1/2 of a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, chili powder, curry spice, and cayenne pepper at this point, or season them to your own personal taste.^[26]
   • Shrimp cook quickly, so make sure you don’t walk away and leave the skillet unattended, or they could burn.
4. Let your shrimp cool for 1-2 minutes before eating them. The shrimp will be hot when they first come out of the skillet. As difficult as it may be, try to hold off on eating them until they’ve had time to cool to a safe temperature. Enjoy!
   • Finish your sautéed shrimp with a drizzle of melted butter or a sprinkle of freshly-minced savory herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, or dill.^[27]
   • Refrigerate your leftovers in an airtight container and try to consume them within 2-3 days.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Tips

• Keep a couple bags of frozen shrimp on hand at all times so you’ll always be able to whip up a delicious meal in a pinch.
• One of the best things about frozen shrimp is it takes them a long time to go bad. When properly stored, they should keep for up to a year!^[28]

[Edit]Warnings

• It’s not safe to consume frozen shrimp (or any kind of shrimp, for that matter) if you suffer from a shellfish allergy.^[29]

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

[Edit]Thawing Frozen Shrimp

• Colander or wire strainer
• Paper towels
• Nonstick pot or pan (optional)

[Edit]Boiling Your Shrimp

• Large pot
• Wooden spoon
• Colander or wire strainer
• Potholders
• Large bowl for ice bath (optional)

[Edit]Broiling Your Shrimp in the Oven

• Large mixing bowl
• Nonstick baking sheet or broiler pan
• Oven mitt

[Edit]Sautéing Your Shrimp

• Large skillet
• Spoon or spatula
• Potholder
• Knife, grater, or zester (for preparing fresh herbs)

[Edit]Related wikiHows

• Cook Boiled Shrimp
• Prepare Shrimp for Cooking
• Make Shrimp with Chinese Lobster Sauce

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://www.thecitycook.com/articles/2014-08-06-frozen-shrimp-101
2. ↑ https://cookthestory.com/how-to-cook-shrimp-from-frozen/
3. ↑ https://www.finecooking.com/article/a-quick-way-to-thaw-shrimp
4. ↑ http://www.melaniecooks.com/how-to-thaw-frozen-shrimp-fast/306/
5. ↑ https://www.finecooking.com/article/a-quick-way-to-thaw-shrimp
6. ↑ https://www.thecitycook.com/articles/2014-08-06-frozen-shrimp-101
7. ↑ http://dish.allrecipes.com/this-easy-trick-makes-frozen-shrimp-taste-way-better-2/
8. ↑ https://cookthestory.com/how-to-cook-shrimp-from-frozen/
9. ↑ https://natashaskitchen.com/quick-and-easy-boiled-shrimp-recipe/
10. ↑ https://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/how-to-boil-shrimp
11. ↑ https://natashaskitchen.com/quick-and-easy-boiled-shrimp-recipe/
12. ↑ https://addapinch.com/boiled-shrimp-recipe/
13. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-a-perfect-shrimp-cocktail-240329
14. ↑ https://www.thedailymeal.com/leftover-guide-how-long-can-you-keep-it
15. ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/broiled-shrimp-17658
16. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-shrimp-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-204080
17. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-frozen-shrimp-247331
18. ↑ https://www.tasteslovely.com/perfect-every-time-lemon-garlic-shrimp/
19. ↑ https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/broiled-buttery-shrimp/
20. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-frozen-shrimp-247331
21. ↑ https://www.thedailymeal.com/leftover-guide-how-long-can-you-keep-it
22. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sauteed-shrimp-recipe-1942539
23. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/cooking-fats-101-whats-a-smoke-point-and-why-does-it-matter.html
24. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4fVNtqIl5A&feature=youtu.be&t=11
25. ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/cajun-sauteed-shrimp-41701
26. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-quickly-cook-shrimp-on-the-stovetop-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-214397
27. ↑ https://damndelicious.net/2014/04/11/garlic-butter-shrimp/
28. ↑ http://www.eatbydate.com/proteins/seafood/how-long-does-shrimp-last/
29. ↑ https://www.foodallergy.org/common-allergens/shellfish

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Frozen-Shrimp
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Upcoming Congressional Vote House On Marijuana Policy

As soon as next week, there will be a crucial vote in the US House of Representatives on an amendment to protect legal marijuana states from federal interference.

The post Upcoming Congressional Vote House On Marijuana Policy appeared first on NORML.

Source: https://norml.org/blog/2021/07/24/upcoming-congressional-vote-house-on-marijuana-policy/
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People Are Stealing Water in California at Record Rates for Illegal Weed Farms

Cannabis needs water to grow, but water is scarce in California right now. The state is experiencing a record-breaking megadrought which has been exacerbated by this summer’s extreme heat. Some weed growers are resorting to stealing water to make sure they have enough to tend to their farms.

Read more…

Source: https://gizmodo.com/people-are-stealing-water-in-california-at-record-rates-1847342652
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It’s not just voting rights. Republicans are going after ballot campaigns.

The Republicans who lead Idaho’s Legislature spent more than two years smarting over the passage of a 2018 ballot initiative that forced the state to expand Medicaid. They were also plotting their revenge.

This spring, as the lawmakers worried about a looming proposal to legalize medical marijuana, they passed a bill instituting an aggressive new standard on ballot campaigns. The outcry was fierce, with liberal activists quickly gathering 16,000 signatures from residents opposed to the legislation — including from rural counties the lawmakers said they were trying to help. Former state Supreme Court Justice Jim Jones delivered the petition to Republican Gov. Brad Little.

But Little was unmoved and signed the legislation in April, making Idaho home to some of the nation’s most restrictive requirements for ballot petitions. Organizers there are now required to secure signatures from 6 percent of voters in all 35 legislative districts in the state to get a question on the ballot for voters to decide.

The Idaho bill is part of a wave of legislation moving through GOP-controlled legislatures that’s intended to combat progressive policymaking at the ballot box. Successful referendums to expand Medicaid, legalize marijuana and fund public education through taxes on the wealthy have all faced similar threats following consternation from conservative lawmakers.

As Democrats have decried Republican efforts to restrict voting rights, lawmakers have also quietly chipped away at the citizen-driven referendum process in statehouses across the country. A record 146 bills were introduced in recent legislative sessions to change the ballot process in 36 states, according to an analysis by the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center. Critics say lawmakers are intentionally trying to complicate the ballot process so that it becomes too expensive and cumbersome for grassroots organizers to get issues directly in front of voters. Lawmakers have also attempted to retroactively undo parts of initiatives approved by voters in some states.

“Those legislators are intimidated,” said Corrine Rivera Fowler, policy and legal advocacy director at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, a progressive group that advocates for left-leaning ballot campaigns. “Their political ideals are being threatened by progressive policies that are passing. Maybe they should consider that.”

Some of these bills contain tweaks to existing law, like changing font size and word counts allowed in ballot petitions, seemingly miniscule adjustments that could actually lead to signatures being thrown out. Others call for wholesale alterations to the ballot process, like raising the approval threshold for constitutional amendments or mandating that a certain percentage of signatures be collected from every legislative district.

The Republicans behind these measures brush off criticism that they’re taking away power from constituents as punishment for voters supporting progressive policies. They counter that the influence of out-of-state interest groups that run these ballot campaigns has gotten out of control and they don’t truly represent the interest of voters and therefore more requirements should be implemented to maintain integrity in the process.

In 2018, for example, the national group Fairness Project spent $6 million to support Medicaid initiatives that passed at the ballot box in Idaho, Nebraska and Utah. In 2020, the group spent nearly $700,000 on Medicaid expansion campaigns in Oklahoma and Missouri. The nonprofit is funded through grants, institutional donors like labor unions and individual contributions. And in 2020, marijuana advocates vastly outraised their opponents, supported by national groups like New Approach PAC and liberal dark money group the North Fund. Medicaid proponents have similarly outraised their opponents, and much of that funding came from local donors like hospital associations and individual health systems.

Ballot campaigners say that Republicans are actually the ones responsible for those high costs because they’re applying more rules to the process, driving up expenses. A typical campaign in Missouri costs close to $2 million just to get an issue on the ballot because of costs like hiring staff, printing flyers and airing advertisements, said Ron Berry, a Missouri lobbyist and political consultant for ballot initiatives. To get on upcoming ballots in 2022 and 2024, campaigns must gather more than 171,000 signatures for constitutional amendments and more than 107,000 for statutes and referendums.

“You can’t do it as a true voluntary citizen,” Berry said. “You just don’t get enough volunteers and it costs money.”

“One of the arguments for this is to take dark money out of the process,” he added. “But I would say they’re opening it up to dark money.”

So far, the efforts by Republicans to raise the bar for qualifying initiatives have been incredibly successful: Red states enacted 24 laws amending the ballot process in the most recent legislative sessions. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, for example, signed a pair of laws in May that allows for recounts of certain state questions and another that requires some initiatives to include fiscal impact statements.

That comes after voters narrowly passed an initiative to expand Medicaid last year. Residents in the state also recently legalized medical marijuana, reclassified drug possessions from felonies to misdemeanors, signed off on a political ethics package with redistricting reforms and overturned a right-to-work law.

Oklahoma state Rep. Chad Caldwell, a Republican, said he was suspicious of a discrepancy in the Medicaid expansion results: early voters were more likely to support the initiative while those who voted in person on the day of the election were often opposed. So he introduced a bill calling for recounts of state questions that fell within very narrow margins of victory. The Medicaid expansion initiative — which passed by 6,488 votes — would have qualified for a recount if that law was in effect at the time.

“It’s a very interesting breakdown and I think people just wanted to take an extra look at it,” he said. “It really doesn’t have anything to do with trying to help or hurt initiative petitions. It 100 percent just has the opportunity to clarify things and bring transparency.”

But Oklahoma Democrats in the legislature didn’t buy that justification. The state has a secure election system and there was no evidence of any irregularities, said Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd.

At the time of its passage, Oklahoma was one of 14 states that had not expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income residents. The state is in the process of enrolling new Medicaid recipients and at least 200,000 Oklahomans are expected to gain health care coverage under the new rules.

“Just call it what it is — the people made a decision to expand Medicaid and the legislature hadn’t done anything for a decade,” Floyd said.

In Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson may call lawmakers back from recess to consider an elections package that may include a bill passed by the state House that would require a two-thirds majority vote to enact constitutional amendments. The House Elections Committee requested a special session to further debate the bill, which would also increase the geographic signature requirements to 10 percent from each congressional district for constitutional amendments and 5 percent for petitions aiming to change state law.

Not all ballot initiatives have pushed liberal-backed policies. California, where initiatives campaigns have long been a big business for interest groups and political operatives, has had a cap on property taxes for more than four decades thanks to a 1978 proposition. A union-driven effort to roll back the cap failed to pass in 2020. It is common in the state for single industries — like tobacco producers, plastics manufacturers or bail bondsmen — to fund initiatives that affect their bottom lines.

But it is also true that Democrats have used the ballot process in many GOP-run states to score big victories of late. The most recent efforts from Republicans to restrict that process can be traced to Florida, where there’s been nearly a decade of political drama over progressive ballot measures.

That culminated in 2018, when nearly 65 percent of Florida voters approved an amendment to the state constitution to restore voting rights to people convicted of certain felonies upon completion of their sentence.

That initiative had been in the works for years, and Republicans were ready to respond. Just one year later, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law prohibiting any people convicted of felonies from voting unless they paid off all legal financial obligations — an action estimated to prevent at least 770,000 people from voting.

While a federal court later found that law unconstitutional, a playbook had been written and replicated in other states.

Florida’s ballot restriction measures didn’t stop there, either. Lawmakers have created more and more rules around voting and public ballot initiatives, and there’s an ongoing court battle over a new law that limits contributions to initiative campaigns. The GOP Legislature passed a law this year that places a $3,000 limit on contributions to political committees collecting signatures for proposed constitutional amendments.

The state Attorney General’s Office defended the law by arguing that the cap was needed to ensure integrity in the ballot process and “that the significant funding needed for a successful initiative petition has not been provided by a small handful, or even a single, very well-heeled special interest donor.”

But a federal court ruled in early July that the law violated First Amendment rights. The state has not yet indicated if it plans to appeal.

Not all legislative efforts have been successful, though. While the Idaho Legislature passed the bill to increase signature requirements, other attempts to restrict marijuana measures at the ballot failed. One Republican senator attempted to change the constitution with a resolution that would have effectively barred marijuana legalization campaigns. The House ultimately rejected the proposal.

It’s not the first time Idaho lawmakers have sought to restrict the ballot process. In 2013, they passed a bill to do the same. Since then, very few initiatives have even made it before voters and only one has passed: the 2018 question to expand Medicaid.

Reclaim Idaho, the group behind the Medicaid expansion initiative, is challenging the new law increasing signature requirements in a lawsuit in state court. The group was working on an initiative that would raise taxes on the wealthy and invest in public education, similar to a measure Arizona voters approved at the ballot box last year (and that is now tied up in a court challenge of its own).

A court decision is expected in the next few weeks on the legality of the Idaho law. If the court rules in favor of the state, the group plans to focus on another ballot question to get rid of the new geographical distribution requirements entirely.

State Sen. Steve Vick, a Republican who sponsored the measure, did not respond to a request for comment, but said during a committee hearing in February that he was concerned about rural representation in the initiative process. He argued that requiring signatures from every legislative district would force organizers to give voice to residents from far flung corners of Idaho, ensuring “that we don’t forget some of those people.”

But Luke Mayville, co-founder of Reclaim Idaho, said rural voters “already are represented at the ballot box.” Tougher petition requirements, he said, means organizers need to run bigger campaigns.

“High thresholds for state-wide signatures are very hard to meet, especially for grassroots organizations,” Mayville said.

For direct democracy advocates like Mayville, the trend of restricting ballot initiatives is not treated with the same urgency as Republican-led legislatures passing bills to restrict voting access. As of June, 17 mostly red states enacted 28 laws to restrict voting, including restrictions for mail-in ballots, stricter voter ID requirements and reducing polling place hours on Election Day, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

“This set of attacks on the ballot initiative process is one part of a much broader set of attacks on democracy itself,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project.

If the new geographic requirements stand, Mayville estimates that ballot campaigns will need $2.5 million to qualify for the ballot. Volunteer-driven grassroots efforts would struggle to access that kind of funding.

The medical marijuana initiative, which was filed before the bill was enacted, won’t be subject to the new restrictions, said Russ Belville, a spokesperson for Idaho Citizens Coalition for Cannabis. But his group is also working on another initiative that would decriminalize marijuana purchased from legal-marijuana states, which would run up against the new requirements.

“So far, we don’t have the money,” Belville said. And he faces an uphill battle to raise the funds, even from national organizations that back state marijuana campaigns. While marijuana legalization campaigns in other states have vastly outraised their opposition, Idaho campaigns typically see little financial support because the state only allows statutory initiatives and not constitutional amendments. That means initiatives can be overturned by the legislature.

A similar fight is brewing in South Dakota over the ballot initiative process. Some Republicans, including Gov. Kristi Noem, are pushing back on an adult-use marijuana ballot measure that voters approved last November. Noem has supported a legal challenge to the measure, which the state Supreme Court has yet to weigh in on.

Marijuana advocates are already gearing up to put another marijuana legalization question on the ballot for 2022. And another group, Dakotans for Health, are collecting signatures to put Medicaid expansion on the ballot.

The legislature’s response? A resolution to require a 60 percent threshold for any ballot measures that create new taxes or will require the state to appropriate more than $10 million in the first five years of enactment.

The resolution, which asks voters to change the state constitution, was initially drafted to go on the ballot in the 2022 general election. But Republican Sen. Lee Schoenbeck amended the resolution to place it on the 2022 primary ballot instead.

“Even if you think the 60 percent [threshold] should be in place … it’s indefensible to place it on a primary ballot,” said Matthew Schweich, who leads ballot initiative efforts for marijuana advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project and also consults on other ballot campaigns.

That resolution is “100 percent because of Medicaid,” Schweich said. Lawmakers know that marijuana advocates can place another legalization question without qualifying for the 60 percent rule, he said.

Schoenbeck did not respond to a request for comment, but during debate on the measure in March said that his amendment would “give the voters a chance to build this protection into the system.” Because Medicaid expansion could end up on the general election ballot, putting the resolution on the primary would allow voters to increase the threshold before the general election.

But even other fellow Republicans expressed concern over putting the measure on a primary ballot, when voter turnout is historically much lower, the Rapid City Journal reports.

Schweich is so concerned with the trend of legislative efforts to restrict ballot initiatives that he’s considering creating a nonpartisan political organization dedicated to defending the ballot initiative process.

“These attacks on the initiative process should not be fought on a one-by-one basis,” he said. Having an organization dedicated to the issue can help “build up institutional knowledge — learn lessons from one state and apply them to another.”

In Idaho, another attempt to restrict ballot campaigns has backfired on lawmakers. The legislature passed a bill in May to bar signature gathering for petitions outside the state, a rule designed to prevent marijuana advocates from collecting signatures at border town pot shops in Oregon.

But the attorney general deemed the bill likely unconstitutional because it would disenfranchise Idaho voters who resided out of state, prompting Little — no friend of the marijuana cause — to veto the bill.

Thanks to the bill’s ultimate failure, advocates promptly started gathering signatures at a dispensary on the Oregon-Idaho border — something they didn’t know they could do before.

“Some people had driven as far as five hours one way just to buy marijuana and sign the petition,” Belville said.

Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/21/republicans-ballot-campaigns-voting-rights-500347
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Study: Cannabis Use Not Linked to Motivation Loss

Investigators reported, “[D]espite significant increases in levels of cannabis use in our sample, change in cannabis use did not predict changes in motivation, which suggests that cannabis use may not lead to reductions in motivation over time.”

The post Study: Cannabis Use Not Linked to Motivation Loss appeared first on NORML.

Source: https://norml.org/blog/2021/07/20/study-cannabis-use-not-linked-to-motivation-loss/
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Amazon endorsed legal weed. Will it now fight to make it happen?

When it announced its support for lawmakers’ efforts to decriminalize weed last month, Amazon didn’t just become the biggest company in America to back marijuana legalization, it captivated the cannabis industry in the process.

Now, as bills pushing legalization remain stuck in Congress, activists fighting for liberalized cannabis laws are hoping the e-commerce giant will take the next step and use its considerable D.C. muscle to help get them passed.

Lobbyists for legalization are pinning their hopes on Amazon using its experienced lobbying team and deep pockets to support their efforts, believing it could help them launch ad campaigns and persuade lawmakers opposed to legalization — especially those who represent states where cannabis is legal — to change their minds. Cannabis lobbyists and advocates who have spoken with Amazon made it clear that the company is already engaging in cannabis discussions in Washington, D.C. Whether Amazon actively lobbies or invests monetarily in legislation is the question on everyone’s minds.

“I’m quite disappointed that we’ve really seen no movement whatsoever at the federal level,” said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project. “I think that if Amazon were able to lend its political support to federal reform and fund state level efforts, that would be a net positive for the cannabis reform movement in this country.”

One third of Americans currently live in a state where cannabis is or will soon be legally sold for adult use, and 68 percent of voters support federal legalization, according to a Gallup poll conducted last year. But corporate America and Congress have been much slower in coming around to the issue. Many companies and the federal government still drug test employees, even in states where cannabis is legal, and a federal decriminalization bill that passed the House last year stalled in the Senate.

Amazon has one of the more relaxed stances on cannabis among major U.S. employers. It supports legalization and made the decision to stop drug testing employees for cannabis, which will expand the company’s prospective employee pool. Though its online delivery infrastructure is unmatched, advocates say the company has given no indication that it plans to get into the weed business itself if cannabis is legalized nationwide.

“They didn’t tell me anything about wanting to get in sales or anything,” said Maritza Perez, director of the office of national affairs at Drug Policy Alliance, who met with Amazon to discuss the bill in June. “I did express the fact that they’re a big corporation, and that people may think that they’re doing this for other reasons. And they understand that that might be the perception.”

There are some indications, however, that Amazon is interested in trying to convince other companies and Congress to support legalization. A number of advocacy and industry groups, including Drug Policy Alliance, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and Canopy Growth Inc., have reported meeting with Amazon officials in the past month to discuss federal marijuana policy.

Amazon said last month that its “public policy team will be actively supporting The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act,” otherwise known as the MORE Act, which would decriminalize cannabis and provide for expungement of some non-violent cannabis offenses, had been a long time coming. The company had preliminary conversations about whether to get involved in the national conversation on CBD — a substance contained in the cannabis plant that was federally legalized in 2018 — and marijuana last year, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, but there were internal disagreements about whether the company should do so and what the optics would be.

The House passed the bill largely along party lines last December, though it was never taken up by the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer debuted his own, more detailed cannabis bill last week. But Amazon declined to say whether it will back it or not.

The reaction of industry groups and advocates to Amazon’s decision to back the MORE Act has been mixed. Most told POLITICO that the money and influence Amazon could bring to the issue could be a big help to a still-underfunded lobbying effort. But there is also some trepidation that Amazon’s involvement indicates it actually plans to enter the industry in some way, and that it could influence federal legislation to be friendlier for big corporations.

“There have been a lot of concerns that they might try to push out the ability of small businesses to be able to succeed in this space, so that’s definitely something that we’re on the lookout for,” said Morgan Fox of the National Cannabis Industry Association.

Legal cannabis sales in the U.S. grew by 50 percent last year, topping $20 billion, according to New Frontier Data. They’re expected to double again over the next four years. The industry has been slow, however, to invest significant dollars in lobbying either nationally or for local legalization efforts.

The largest donor to New Jersey’s successful legalization ballot measure campaign last year, for example, was Scotts Miracle Gro — not a cannabis corporation or group. Lobbyists and advocates say the dollars that Amazon could bring to a national push for federal legalization would help them implement efforts they currently do not have the money for.

Amazon is one of the top lobbying spenders in Washington, shelling out nearly $17.9 million last year. It’s not clear, though, whether Amazon’s lobbyists have yet lobbied Congress to support the MORE Act or any other federal reforms. Amazon’s second-quarter lobbying disclosure report isn’t yet public, and the company declined to comment.

Amazon’s endorsement of the MORE Act didn’t draw big headlines, but it made an impact among those pushing to reform the country’s cannabis laws.

“It’s a big deal for such a large employer, and an employer and a company that nearly every American household interacts with in some way,” to endorse the MORE Act, said Chelsea Parsons, the Center for American Progress’ acting vice president for criminal justice reform. “It helps shift the culture around this issue.”

Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/20/amazon-legal-weed-500263
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Marijuana arrests are way down — but Black Coloradans are still twice as likely to get busted for pot, new report says

Seven years after the first recreational pot shops opened for business in Colorado, youth aren’t smoking more weed, older adults are blazing more and marijuana-related arrests are way down — but Black Coloradans are still much more likely to get in trouble for cannabis offenses, according to a state report released Monday.

The biennial report — “Impacts on Marijuana Legalization in Colorado,” commissioned by the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice — is the most extensive look since 2018 at marijuana’s impact across public safety, health, driving and youth consumption.

Overall, the authors highlight a few notable trends in the way cannabis is being consumed in Colorado: People are moving away from smoking and instead are consuming cannabis through vapes and edibles at higher rates.

The age bracket of those who use pot also has shifted immensely since legalization, with individuals over 65 using marijuana at triple the rate they did in 2014.

It’s no surprise that the baby boomer generation is coming around to cannabis, said Truman Bradley executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group.

“Boomers had some experience with (marijuana), at least culturally, back in the day, but also boomers tend to be ‘rule followers’ as a group,” he said.

As people age, however, they may look to cannabis for relief, Bradley added.

But even as fewer people across the board are being arrested on marijuana possession and other weed-related crimes, the marijuana arrest rate for Black individuals (160 per 100,000 people) is more than double that of white residents (76 per 100,000) in Colorado.

“This disparity has not changed in any meaningful way since legalization,” the authors noted.

Research shows that white people use and sell drugs at the same or higher rates as other minority groups, yet Black Americans are far more likely to be arrested for drug-related crimes.

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With the similar drug-usage data in mind, the discrepancy in marijuana arrests “raises eyebrows,” Bradley said.

Although youth usage remained unchanged at around 20%, some of the data surrounding kids and marijuana was “extremely alarming,” said Henny Lasley, co-founder and executive director for One Chance to Grow Up, a national initiative launched by Smart Colorado.

She pointed to one statistic as a prime example: Nearly three-quarters (73.5%) of youth ages 10 to 17 in treatment for substance use reported marijuana as their primary substance of use — the result of the high-potency marijuana accessible in Colorado, Lasley said.

Colorado lawmakers took action this year to address some of these concerns, with Gov. Jared Polis signing a bill into law that will restrict daily purchases of concentrates and ensure their products explicitly state serving sizes.

“There’s this misnomer that everything’s hunky dory because the overall statistic hasn’t changed,” Lasley said, referring to youth usage rates. “You have to peek under the covers and see what kids are using.”

Here are highlights from the Colorado report across various sectors:

Public safety

• Marijuana-related arrests have plummeted since legalization, dropping 68% between 2012 and 2019 (13,225 to 4,290). That steep decline has come across all races and ethnicities, though not uniformly — 72% for white individuals, 55% among Hispanics, and a 63% decrease for Black Coloradans.
• Court case filings related to pot declined 55% between 2012 and 2019
• Plant seizures on public lands — one indicator of the illicit weed market — have fluctuated wildly since 2012. That year, authorities seized 46,662 pot plants. In 2017, that number rocketed to 80,826, but has since dropped back to a low of 1,502 in 2018.

Health 

• Men (22.9%) are using marijuana significantly more than women (15.1%)
• Treatment admissions for those reporting marijuana as their primary substance have gone down to 182 admissions per 100,000 people in 2019 from 222 admissions in 2012
• The number of calls to poison control mentioning marijuana exposure has jumped to 276 in 2019 from 41 calls in 2006

Youth impacts

• A 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey found no significant change in youth marijuana usage between 2013 and 2019, mirroring similar findings in a national survey on drug use
• Marijuana use increased as teens aged — with 12th graders (27%) using cannabis at more than double the rate of ninth graders (13.3%)
• Nearly three-quarters (73.5%) of youth ages 10 to 17 in treatment for substance use reported marijuana as their primary substance of use
• Marijuana infractions accounted for 30% of all school expulsions and 34% of all law enforcement referrals in Colorado public schools, 2019-2020 school discipline data shows

Driving

• Authors included the caveat that law enforcement officers trained in recognizing drug use jumped to 221 in 2020, up from 129 in 2012, which “can increase drug detection rates apart from any changes in driver behavior”
• DUI summonses issued by the Colorado State Patrol in which marijuana was recorded increased by 120% between 2014 and 2020 (684 to 1,504)

 

Source: https://www.denverpost.com/2021/07/20/marijuana-legalization-report-colorado/
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Surgeon general: No ‘value’ to locking people up over marijuana use

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday said he does not think there is “value” to incarcerating people for marijuana use, as the Senate considers a bill to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level….

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/563586-surgeon-general-no-value-to-locking-people-up-over-marijuana-use
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Democrats look to crush states’ highway habit

House Democrats are trying to use a massive climate and infrastructure bill to change how Americans get around — by breaking states’ decades-old fondness for building highways.

Legislation the House passed this month is the biggest advance yet in Democrats’ efforts to bake climate policies into transportation, addressing the largest single contributor to the United States’ greenhouse gas output. It would also represent an historic shift away from the roads-first approach to federal transportation spending that has reigned since Dwight Eisenhower created the Interstate Highway System.

But the bill is riling up opposition from two potential allies of the Democrats’ big-spending infrastructure initiatives: state transportation departments and the road-building lobby. That creates an awkward dynamic for supporters of the House bill, which faces a perilous path through the evenly divided Senate.

Critics say the five-year, $549 billion bill would represent one-size-fits-all Washington meddling at its worst.

“There are 50 different states with 50 different sets of transportation challenges. What is right for one may not be right for another,” said Dave Bauer, CEO of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, which supports many of the bill’s provisions and principles. “It’s really hard to determine that five years at a time from Washington, D.C.”

The bill’s supporters say the old system is unsustainable.

“We have to begin to look at alternatives,” House Transportation Chair and bill sponsor Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) told POLITICO in the run-up to the bill’s passage in June. “You can’t pave over the whole country.”

The bill, H.R. 3684 (117), would erect new bureaucratic hurdles for states seeking to spend federal money on laying asphalt, while steering them to more climate-friendly options like transit. It also would give cities more power over selecting and funding transportation projects — boosting the leverage of Democratic-led enclaves in red states such as Texas, where Houston is engaged in a high-profile fight with the state’s DOT over a highway expansion local pols don’t want.

The bill is, for now, is separate from a compromise infrastructure bill backed by the Biden administration and key GOP senators, which would provide $579 billion in new spending, as well as a $3.5 trillion go-it-alone proposal that Democrats hope to approve by party-line votes. These chess pieces are separate for now, but portions of all three could end up blended together into whatever Congress ends up enacting.

DeFazio said state DOTs have reflexively built highways instead of looking at other alternatives — a habit that needs to change. As a rare exception, he pointed to Virginia’s efforts to expand passenger rail service to combat perennially snarled traffic on Interstate 95.

“I’m not saying you can’t ever add [highway] capacity. But I’m saying first you have to look at the range of alternatives,” DeFazio said.

A sea of highways

States have tended to use one primary strategy to tackle congestion: adding new highways or expanding existing ones.

From 1993 to 2017, states laid down 30,511 new miles of freeway lanes in the hundred largest urbanized areas — a 42 percent increase in highway capacity. Typically when it comes to federal transportation funding, about 80 percent of federal transportation goes to highways, and 20 percent to transit.

Urban planners and transportation researchers say it’s impossible to pave the way to free-flowing traffic. In fact, they say new lanes often increase congestion, a phenomenon that economists call induced demand, in which creating a greater supply of something just makes people want to use it more. And more traffic brings more pollution. A recent study by the Rocky Mountain Institute, a sustainability research organization, found that Colorado’s plans to add 200 new lane-miles over the next decade would have the same impact on carbon emissions as adding 70,000 cars to the roads.

The Democrats’ bill won’t be able to undo decades of feverish highway building overnight, but its backers say it represents a huge shift in mindset.

The bill, called the INVEST in America Act, would set limits on how states use money from one of the biggest pots of federal highway cash, the National Highway Performance Program, by requiring them to consider whether an “operational improvement or transit project” would be more cost-effective than expanding capacity for single-occupancy vehicles.

As part of that analysis, states would also have to consider the cost to maintain a project that would increase highway capacity, and prove that their modeling of travel demand has a documented record of accuracy.

It would also give more money and power to cities by granting them more authority over project selection and access to funds previously reserved for states. For example, the bill would require states to give local governments more money through an existing block grant fund than is the case at present, and create a new pot of money to go directly to Metropolitan Planning Organizations.

“These changes represent a long-needed shift to ensure that the federal transportation program enhances, rather than undermines, safety and sustainability efforts at the local level,” said Corinne Kisner, executive director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

It would also force states to spend a higher proportion of their federal funds on bridges, intended as another way of ensuring they repair existing infrastructure before building anew.

The bill would probably force the greatest changes in red states, which spend proportionally more than blue states do on building new highway capacity, according to data tabulated by the pro-transit group Transportation for America from 2009 to 2014, the most recent available. Mississippi topped the list.

Exceptions exist, though: Republican-led Nebraska spent vastly more on repairs than new highways in those same years. And some Democrat-led states, such as Washington, have often shunned critical highway repairs, contributing to the wear that lawmakers say they want to fix.

States cool to the idea

The trade group that represents state DOTs in Washington responded to the bill with a carefully worded statement that praised the legislation’s policy goals but said the best way to meet them is by giving states more, not less, flexibility.

“We very much appreciate that the House bill addresses so many important priorities —including equity, greenhouse gas reduction, resilience, [electric vehicle] charging, and more,” said the statement from Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “We firmly believe that if the federal program can provide maximum flexibility rather than prescriptive requirements, states can deliver the policy outcomes envisioned by the House while also advancing each state’s own unique priorities.”

The group Associated General Contractors of America took a harder tone, warning in a letter last week that “restrictions on states to build new highway capacity would have a negative economic effect on the roadway construction industry,” particularly small firms.

But some policy veterans, such as former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Jim Aloisi, the effort doesn’t go far enough.

“Federal largesse has been responsible in large part for the automobility-centric society that we have today that most of us understand is not sustainable,” Aloisi said in an interview. “And what Congress giveth, Congress can reduce or take away. For me, the House bill represents, to be perfectly candid, a modest effort, almost a timid effort in the right direction.”

‘Look, it’s our money’

The House bill’s odds for success become more fraught in the Senate, where lawmakers will have to combine it with either its Senate committee counterpart or with the massive bipartisan infrastructure package that President Joe Biden supports.

Both the Senate bill and the larger infrastructure proposal would pump money into state DOTs with minimal restrictions on what they do with it — largely maintaining a highway-friendly status quo.

Even if the House proposal becomes law, state transportation agencies are probably already figuring out how to continue funding their traditional priorities as if nothing had changed, Aloisi said.

“State DOTs across the board will be very good, and their private allies and supporters, at figuring out how to navigate their way through the language that the House passed,” he said, adding that there are likely already “consultants working overtime.”

But he said changing the states’ ways is a necessary goal and praised Congress for starting to try.

“I think the federal government has every right to say look, it’s our money, and we are now in the process of redirecting and transitioning from a 1950s approach to something that more clearly reflects not just the moment, but the future,” Aloisi said.

Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/18/democrats-states-highways-transportation-499906
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California has 41 candidates for September recall election

SACRAMENTO — Forty-one candidates have met the qualifications to run in the California gubernatorial recall election, less than a third of the number who ran in the state’s memorable 2003 contest and well below what some political experts months ago had predicted, according to an official list released Saturday night.

Republicans comprise roughly half the field with 21 candidates, ranging from former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer to reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner. Conservative talk show host Larry Elder did not appear on the final list, which suggests his paperwork did not meet all of the qualifications, but he said later that “I fully expect to be on the final certified list of candidates.”

The recall field is notably absent of prominent Democratic politicians after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign successfully deterred other leaders in his party from giving their voters an attractive option. Of the eight Democratic candidates, the one with the largest following is Kevin Paffrath, a YouTuber who has gained internet fame with his “Meet Kevin” channel that focused on real estate and investing before he entered the gubernatorial race.

That marks another distinction from 2003, when Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante joined the recall field of 135 candidates. Some strategists had wondered if the Democratic Party would field a caretaker candidate this time who might be an option should Newsom falter, but the party is all-in on the governor, who has shown much more polling strength than former Gov. Gray Davis did 18 years ago before he was recalled.

Recall ballots will land in mailboxes starting Aug. 16 ahead of the Sept. 14 election. The ballot will ask voters if they want to recall Newsom, and if so, who should replace him. Newsom cannot appear on the list of replacement candidates, but if voters reject the recall, that list becomes moot.

Other notable Republican candidates include former Rep. Doug Ose; businessman John Cox, who has brought everything from a giant ball of trash to a 1,000 pound bear on the campaign trail; state Board of Equalization member Ted Gaines; and longtime Newsom critic Assemblymember Kevin Kiley (D-Rocklin).

Elder’s omission could be significant for the party, depending on what happens. He was believed to have a large following in Southern California and had gained momentum since announcing his run on his radio show this past week.

Among other candidates are Angelyne, a Los Angeles billboard star who also ran in 2003, and cannabis consultant Jacqueline McGowan.

The recall has an estimated cost of $276 million for taxpayers. It will be only the second gubernatorial recall election in California history, and it lacks the star power that came when actor Arnold Schwarzenegger swept into office in 2003. The field that year also included everyone from child actor Gary Coleman and Hustler mogul Larry Flynt to former Major League Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth. Arianna Huffington ran two years before she founded the Huffington Post, but she dropped out of the race days before the election and endorsed Davis.

The most famous candidate this year is Jenner, a former Olympic gold medalist, Kardashian family member and transgender celebrity. In a move that surprised California political insiders this week, Jenner flew to Australia and plans to stay there for weeks, reportedly to tape Big Brother VIP.

Newsom has momentum, including nearly $30 million in campaign funding, and polls so far show challengers face a long shot to oust the former mayor of San Francisco. But Republicans have seized on every issue from wildfires to homeless to criticize Newsom, zeroing in on mask requirements in schools and in Los Angeles County as their latest criticism.

Source: https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2021/07/18/california-has-41-candidates-for-september-recall-election-1388537
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