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We are in mid-October and one of the top priorities since the month of January for Governor Phil Murphy and Senate Speaker Stephen Sweeney – passing a law legalizing marijuana use for people aged 21 and over in New Jersey – is still the subject of strenuous private negotiations.
This week, Sweeney, D-Gloucester and Murphy, another Democrat, have made transatlantic accusations to determine who is behind the delay.
Sweeney told NJ Advance Media that he still did not have the 21 votes needed to pass the bill in the 40-member Senate, and that some of the secretive people are members of his own party.
"The governor must help – it's time for him to try to push the votes too," Sweeney said. "It has an influence on a handful of Senators who strongly oppose this at this stage."
Asked to respond to Sweeney's remarks during a trade mission to Germany on Friday, Murphy replied that he was waiting for an indication from Sweeney.
Here are the latest thoughts from Governor Murphy on the legalization of grass by N.J.
"He and I had a very good conversation about it a week ago – a week ago – and he said," I need your help to get votes, we're not there. again. "And I said," You give me the list and I understand everything, "said Murphy.
"I do not have a list, but I'm really happy to do it," said the governor. "We are basically two guys who share a common goal by trying to overtake it."
Sweeney said that he had told the governor who he thought was the non-vote.
"But if he wants a list, I'll write it for him," he says.
Democrats and marijuana industry sources have said in private that the negative votes that could potentially be persuaded are: Sense. Nia Gill, D-Essex, Shirley Turner, D-Mercer, Richard Codey, D-Essex and Nicholas Sacco, D-Hudson.
Sweeney also acknowledged that part of the problem was that the bill, sponsored by Senator Nicholas Scutari of D-Union, posed two unresolved issues and that he was reluctant to continue hearings until what a compromise is found with the Murphy government. He refused to discuss the points of friction.
But three sources aware of the negotiations said Sweeney would not agree to set a sales tax rate higher than 12% in order to encourage people to stop buying marijuana illegally. Murphy wants a higher tax rate, but he has not publicly announced what he was willing to accept.
The two sides also have differing views on the level of power that would be attributed to a newly created cannabis commission to control licensing and other aspects of the new industry, the sources said.
Sweeney said he remained optimistic about the negotiations.
"If the three branches of government (administration, Senate and Assembly) intervene, we will get the votes."
Susan K. Livio can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
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