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Contradictory statements
February 16, 2009 | 10:18 AM Don't you love it when politicians blatantly contradict themselves? Well prepare to feel the love: The state legislature is currently considering four marijuana-related bills, as reported in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald; three of them deal with expanding and clarifying medical pot laws, but the fourth, HB1192, would make possession of less than an ounce a civil offense, meaning the punishment would be a parking ticket-sized fine rather than jail time. Of course, any bill that makes it out of congress will have to be approved by Gov. Lingle, who vetoed a law last year that would have created a medical marijuana task force. At the time Lingle called the bill "an exercise at finding ways to circumvent federal law." Interesting that Lingle would be such a staunch defender of federal law, given her party's tendency to support state's rights and local control. Guess Lingle is just a maverick. Or not. Here she is speaking at an education summit in 2004: "Throughout my political career, I've believed in the concept of home rule. Some call it local control. Whichever phrase you use, the concept is the same: the best decisions are those made closest to those who will be impacted by the decisions." Man, too bad 2004 Lingle wasn't around when that medical marijuana bill came up. She might have been able to talk some sense into Lingle version 2008. |