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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 2 aPriL 2022

House votes to decriminalize marijuana, but Senate fate dim

ing their sentences. It also impact the trajectory of their Thirty-seven states and Dis-
authorizes a 5% tax on mari- lives indefinitely,” Hoyer trict of Columbia allow the
juana and marijuana products said. “I regret that there are medical use of cannabis
that would gradually increase some members of our Con- products while 18 states and
to 8% over five years. The gress who apparently think the District of Columbia
money would be used for that’s not worthy of atten- have legalized recreational
grant programs focused on tion.” marijuana, according to the
job training, legal aid, sub- National Conference of State
stance abuse treatment and “Make no mistake, yes, it is a Legislatures.
loans to help disadvantaged racial justice bill,” said Rep.
small businesses get into the Barbara Lee, D-Calif. “If states are the laboratories
marijuana industry. of democracy, it is long past
Republicans who opposed time for the federal govern-
The Congressional Budget the measure said marijuana ment to recognize that legal-
Office estimated that thou- is a gateway drug that would ization has been a resounding
sands of inmates would be lead to greater use of opioids success and that the conflict
(AP) — Marijuana would ers across the country. released earlier than under and other dangerous sub- with federal law has become
be decriminalized at the current law, saving about stances. They also said the untenable,” said the bill’s
federal level under legisla- The 2020 election showed $800 million over a 10-year pot sold today is far more po- sponsor, Rep. Jerrold Nadler,
tion the House approved how broadly accepted mari- period. Overall, the federal tent than what was sold de- D-N.Y., chairman of the
Friday as Democrats made juana has become, with mea- deficit would be reduced by cades ago, leading to greater House Judiciary Committee.
the case for allowing states sures to legalize recreational nearly $3 billion over the impairment for those who
to set their own policies pot breezing to victory in next decade. use it. They said decriminal- In the Senate, Democrats
on pot. progressive New Jersey, ization is not the priority that including Majority Leader
moderate Arizona and con- Democrats said the nation’s lawmakers should be focused Chuck Schumer of New
The bill is unlikely to be- servative Montana and South federal prohibition on mari- on now, with the war in York asked colleagues in early
come law since it is expected Dakota. juana has had particularly Ukraine and inflation driving February for their input on a
to die in the Senate. That devastating consequences up the cost of gas, food and marijuana decriminalization
would mirror what happened The House approved the bill for minority communities. other essential items. bill. He said after the House
when a similar House-passed Friday with a mostly party- House Majority Leader Steny vote that they were still
measure removing marijuana line vote of 220-204. All but Hoyer, D-Md., cited statis- “Yet the priority of this Con- working on crafting the legis-
from the list of federally- two voting Democrats backed tics that showed Black Amer- gress now turns to expanding lation, but he hoped it would
controlled substances went the measure, while only three icans were four times more access to addictive, behavior- be introduced “very soon.”
nowhere in the Senate two Republicans did. likely than white Americans altering recreational drugs
years ago. to be arrested for marijuana at a time when our coun- “Of course, we will need Re-
Still, Friday’s vote gave law- The measure would require possession, even though they try is also experiencing in- publicans to pass a legaliza-
makers the chance to state federal courts to expunge use it at similar rates. creased addiction, depression tion bill in the Senate, and we
their view on a decriminal- prior marijuana convictions and suicide,” said Rep. Bob will be working hard to try
ization push that appears to and conduct resentencing “Those criminal records can Good, R-Va. and get them,” Schumer said.
have broad support with vot- hearings for those complet- haunt people of color and

Iowa court upholds gender identity discrimination case

(AP) — The Iowa Supreme since lawmakers amended spokesman Nick Crawford. nation based on the indi- mation surgery.
Court on Friday upheld the Iowa Civil Rights Act in vidual’s male or female ana-
much of a 2019 jury ver- 2007 to bar discrimination on The court determined that tomical characteristics at the While the court on Friday
dict that found the state the basis of gender identity the amended act added sex- time of birth (the definition upheld that verdict, damages
discriminated against a and sexual orientation. ual orientation and gender of `sex’). An employer could award and payment of more
transgender state prison identity to the list of pro- discriminate against trans- than $348,000 in attorney
employee by denying him Vroegh, who filed the lawsuit tected characteristics, which gender individuals without fees, it denied Vroegh’s at-
the use of men’s restrooms in 2017, said the victory was a allowed the jury to consider even knowing the sex of the tempt to pursue a case against
and locker rooms, but the long time coming. gender identity discrimina- individuals adversely affect- the state’s insurer, Wellmark
court dismissed a portion tion in Vroegh’s case. The ed,” the court said, Blue Cross and Blue Shield,
of the case that centered “I’m so happy that my state court, however found the for denial of coverage for sur-
on sex discrimination. Supreme Court has recog- sex discrimination allegation In February 2019 a jury found gery that was recommended
nized that transgender people should not have been before that the Corrections Depart- by Vroegh’s doctors to treat
The ruling means Jesse like me should be treated the the jury. ment discriminated against gender dysphoria. Wellmark
Vroegh, a former nurse at the same as everyone else and Vroegh and the state execu- said its plan did not cover any
state’s Mitchellville prison that if a doctor says I should The high court explained tive branch further discrimi- gender confirmation surgery.
for women, has won his dis- receive medical treatment I that it has previously separat- nated against him by offering That benefit was later cov-
crimination lawsuit based on get the treatment,” he said. ed sex from gender with sex medical benefits that would ered for state employees be-
gender identity and the jury’s “It is important for all people meaning whether one is male not cover his gender confir- ginning in 2017.
$120,000 damages verdict for to be treated with dignity and or female and gender relat-
emotional distress. respect.” ing to behavior, feelings and
thoughts that do not always
The decision in which the An Iowa Department of Cor- correlate to one’s physiologi-
full court recognized gender rections spokesman said in a cal status.
identity discrimination for statement that a new agency
transgender workers under director and prison warden Vroegh claimed that discrim-
state civil rights law is a sig- are in place since this case oc- ination based on sex included
nificant LGBTQ victory. curred. discrimination based on gen-
der identity. The court reject-
American Civil Liberties “The DOC does everything ed that argument.
Union of Iowa lawyer Melis- it can to create a safe and ac-
sa Hasso has said the lawsuit commodating environment “Discrimination based on an
was the first related to trans- for all its employees,” said individual’s gender identity
gender rights that’s been filed the statement provided by does not equate to discrimi-