The Trouble with E.Orr: Taking credit where it is not due again

The mythical moderate Republican Ethan Orr aka “E.Orr” is at it again. The Trouble with E.Orr: Taking credit where it is not due.

The corporate media villagers have all reported in recent days that E.Orr will propose a bill if he is reelected — and that is seriously in doubt — to legalize marijuana. “I want your vote Spicoli!”

Back in February of this year, state Rep. Ruben Gallego (D) and 12 Democratic co-sponsors (including Rep. Victoria Steele from LD 9) filed a bill to regulate and tax marijuana similar to alcohol. Marijuana Legalization, Decriminalization Bills Filed in Arizona:

The bill, House Bill 2558, allows adults 21 or older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to five marijuana plants.

The bill also establishes a system of cultivation and retail sales similar to Colorado’s retail marijuana industry, which opened for business this year.

Minor violations of the proposed law, including smoking in public, growing in public view, or being caught in possession while under the age of 21 would be civil violations punished by fines.

Meanwhile, another bill, House Bill 2474 [cosponsored by Rep. Gallego and 12 Democrats, including Rep. Victoria Steele] would decriminalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, reducing the penalties from a possible felony to a $100 fine, similar to a traffic ticket.

The bill also reduces the penalty for possession over an ounce, up to two pounds, to a petty offense instead of a felony.

Currently, possession of any amount of marijuana, except by those residents authorized under the state’s medical marijuana program, is a felony offense punishable by up to two years in jail.

While both bills have significant support among Democratic lawmakers in the state, both chambers of the Arizona legislature are controlled by Republicans, which could hinder the progress of the bills.

If the Democratic lawmakers are unsuccessful in pushing these bills through the legislature, a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana is likely to be placed before voters in 2016.

Where was our brave little E.Orr back in February when he failed to join his Democratic colleagues, including his seatmate Rep. Victoria Steele, in co-sponsoring these bills? Both bills were assigned to the Rules Committee, and HB 2474 was also assigned to the Judiciary Committee on which E.Orr sits, where the bills died without a hearing.

Now that early mail-in ballots have already dropped in a hotly contested race, the corporate media villagers are running stories about how E.Orr will sponsor a bill to legalize marijuana. Sounds like last minute desperation to me. State Rep. Orr: I will push marijuana legalization:

First-term Republican lawmaker Ethan Orr said Monday if he is returned to the state House, he plans on introducing legislation next year legalizing the sale of marijuana to adults.

Orr, who is facing a re-election challenge from Democrats Randy Friese and Victoria Steele, said he believes legalization is inevitable, given the changing national attitude, and that taxing marijuana sales could add $250 million to the state treasury.

Beyond the criticism from Steele and Friese, Orr concedes he is getting significant pushback from his own party, to the point he isn’t sure his plan will even get a hearing.

But Orr noted there is growing support for the concept, as well as a well-organized group that wants to put the question on a statewide referendum.

It could take two years, Orr admits, to convince enough of his colleagues that legalization is in the best interests of the state. But he said his bottom line is the bottom line of the state, which faces an estimated billion-dollar revenue shortfall next year.

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Pima County Republican Party Chair Carolyn Cox strongly opposed, noting Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has publicly lamented the decision to legalize pot in his state.

“It is a dumb idea,” Cox said.

State Republican Party head Robert Graham declined to comment on Orr’s proposal.

Legislative District 9 opponents Friese and Steele find his motives suspicious, coming in the final weeks before the general election.

Friese, a trauma surgeon, argues Orr isn’t being consistent, noting Orr didn’t sign on as a sponsor of two other House bills: one that sought to decriminalize possession for an ounce or less of marijuana and another reducing criminal penalties for possession of a small, personal amount. Both bills died in committee, and were never heard.

But Friese pointed out that Orr did support a bill in committee in 2013 that required confiscated medical marijuana to be destroyed.

“The timing is obvious; this is an election cycle,” Friese said.

Friese said he supports legalization, combined with safeguards to keep marijuana out of the hands of minors and programs to treat addiction.

He also wants voters to decide on the issue, not the Legislature, assuring the measure cannot be easily negated.

Steele, who currently holds the other LD 9 House seat, vows to fight Orr’s bill, noting legalization in Colorado has filled state coffers, but has harmed children in the state.

The former substance-abuse counselor said the number of teens using marijuana in Colorado is 39 percent higher than the national average.

[See Steele’s support for the bills above.]

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Orr says Friese is ignoring other bills he has sponsored.

Last session, Orr sponsored legislation designed to allow the use of state dollars, obtained from medical marijuana users and dispensaries, to study the effects of the drug. That measure was approved by the House, but killed in the Senate.

Hmmm, but what happened to that study? Marijuana/PTSD researcher Sue Sisley lost her job at the University of Arizona. And despite all the “magical powers” of influence E.Orr claims to possess, he could not save her job. Did he even try? Medical marijuana research stalls after Arizona professor is let go.

E.Orr is someone who will say anything and take credit for others work to get elected. Too often the corporate media villagers not only let him get away with it, but give him an assist.