Evers pushes legal cannabis and justice reform as Badger State reinvestment

Cannabis legalization and other criminal justice reform strategies took center stage Wednesday in Gov. Tony Evers’ live stream discussion of his Badger Bounceback plan.

“This budget isn’t my budget, it’s your budget,” the governor said during the event. “Our justice system has put a strain on our state, and on our communities, and on our families for far too long.”

Over 200 people were listening to the address through a Zoom chat, though many more likely saw it on YouTube. While some attendees were from organizations like MICAH, a multi-ethnic interfaith organization, others were simply concerned residents. Once given an opportunity to share comments, many brought up cannabis legalization.

Bringing either statistics or personal stories to the table, they questioned the point of the continued prohibition. Others touched on the issue of not only incarcerated youth, but young people remaining under-served in communities because of a lack of mental health treatment. Francis Zabrowski, a volunteer chaplain at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF), said “I’ve heard so many stories, both men and women who are stuck in these jails, and yet have tremendous potential. So, I would like to take the point of view of how to best use taxpayers’ money. And, as many said already, invest in humanity.”

Read more: https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2021/04/16/evers-pushes-legal-cannabis-and-justice-reform-as-badger-reinvestment/