Senate takes time out for both parties to caucus after marijuana votes
After its vote on the two anti-marijuana resolutions, the Senate went at ease and members milled around for some time; then the Senate reconvened and immediately went at ease again for a majority party caucus. GOP Caucus Chairman Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, said the topic was the two just-voted-on marijuana resolutions. “What we wanted to do was make sure everyone understood the two different bills,” he said, “because to the casual observer, it looked like we disagreed with ourselves.” Fulcher said GOP leaders wanted to stress that the majority party opposes legalization of marijuana, which was reflected in its strong vote in favor of SCR 112; its objections to the second measure, SJM 101, centered on states’ rights, not marijuana. That second measure was killed on a 13-21 vote.
Senate Democrats also went into caucus, just for “general discussion.” Minority Leader Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, said the minority had planned a caucus discussion today anyway, and just took advantage of the time the majority was in caucus to hold closed-door discussions of its own.