Candidates for Assembly District 89 Views on Marijuana Reform: Nygren (R), Rich (R), Jaeger (D)

Wisconsin’s 89th Assembly District encompasses parts of Marinette, Oconto and Brown Counties including areas of Marinette, Oconto, Peshtigo, Pound, Coleman, Suamico, Howard, Abrams, Sobieski and the surrounding areas

Primary Election August 11, 2020

Republican Candidates

The Republican Incumbent John Nygren will face a primary challenger and we know that means something. The era of “thou shall not speak ill of any fellow Republican candidate” is over and should never have been interrupted as challenging an incumbent as taboo. When it comes to marijuana reform, we know a great deal about Nygren.

His October 2018 Q&A: Would you support changing state law to legalize marijuana and/or cannabis products? If so, under what conditions? If not, why?

I do not support legalizing marijuana under any conditions. Marijuana is a mind-altering substance which should be approached with caution and I believe we need to know more about the long-term effects of marijuana use before legalizing it.

In early 2019 Nygren was one of the two top Republicans that said they won’t consider Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and legalize it for medical use. “It will not be in the final budget passed,” said Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, co-chairman of the state’s powerful Joint Finance Committee. Nygren said neither the medical nor decriminalization aspect of Evers’ proposal will make it into the budget that the Republicans pass and he held to that promise.

But wait, what is this that comes along … a 2019 GOP Spring Survey sponsored by the GOP Assembly Representatives including John Nygren. In the spring of 2019 after overwhelming support in the Wisconsin public marijuana referendums the previous fall, many of the Assembly GOP members held a spring survey which was posted online and sent in the email to people on their mailing list. The results of Assembly Representative Republican John Nygren (Marinette) spring survey are not surprising as 70.76% of his district supported medical marijuana.

Rep. Nygren has dismissed medical marijuana as tool for doctors and does not address harm reduction tactics under his HOPE Agenda. The 2020 Republican medical marijuana bill sponsors said Rep. Nyrgren would not fight their bill if they added additional requirements regarding Doctor/Patient tracking.

Contact John Nygren as an elected official at: Email: Cali.Keller@legis.wisconsin.gov, Web: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/89/nygren, Phone: 608-266-2343

Learn more about Nygren and his campaign on Facebook and his website. (Link to Full Legislator Scorecard for 2019-2020)

His primary challenger is Republican Andi Rich from Marinette.

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Andi Rich was born and raised in Porterfield, WI. She attended Marinette Middle and High School, and eventually went off to Lakeland College. She graduated cum laude with a double major in Business Administration and Marketing in 2008. She worked her way through college in various service industry jobs, and after college, focused on a career in residential construction. She worked hard until she had the knowledge to pursue her general contractors license, and move home to proudly open her own construction company, Hammer Construction Inc. Founded in 2012, Hammer Construction operated out of Peshtigo from 2014 until 2018. In 2018, Andi made the difficult decision to shut the company down to pursue a career with more flexible hours, so she could focus on fighting the proposed Back Forty Mine, which she knew was jeopardizing her and our future.

I have know Andi Rich for some time now and her dedication to reform is known. As a candidate, she immediately responded to our 2020 Candidate Questionnaire and we are more than happy to bring her answers to you below:

Please indicate any marijuana-related legislation you have sponsored, co-sponsored, or publicly supported.

I have publicly supported anything that crosses my path regarding legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana.

Over three dozen US states and territories, not including Wisconsin, are regulating marijuana for medical and/or adult-use, despite marijuana’s federal illegality. Ending federal prohibition would alleviate the tension between these states and the US government and allow states to set their own policies free from federal interference. Do you support or oppose ending the federal prohibition of marijuana?

Support

Please provide a position statement regarding legalizing the medical use of marijuana.

Over 70% of constituents polled in the 89th approve of medical marijuana, it is long past time we give people the right to try natural treatments for what ails them. It’s also an excellent time to increase tax revenue, as state taxes are far below anticipated values due to the Pandemic impediment on the economy. Other states that have legalized it have seen significant tax revenue increases, and Wisconsin could use that tax money now more than ever.

Do you support or oppose decriminalizing the simple possession of marijuana?

Support

Please provide a position statement regarding decriminalizing the simple possession of marijuana.

Statistics show possession charges are disproportionately used to target minorities, decriminalizing the simple possession of marijuana is one of many ways we can tip the scales back towards racial equality.

The prohibition of marijuana allows for the disproportionate criminalization of black and brown Wisconsinites, despite similar rates of consumption across all races and ethnicities. The impacts of marijuana criminalization are far reaching and include long-lasting collateral consequences well beyond the criminal charge. Do you support the automatic expungement of non-violent marijuana possession convictions?

Yes

Please provide a position statement regarding automatic expungement of non-violent marijuana possession convictions.

We should be doing everything we can to support rehabilitation, not just incarceration. A criminal record can kill job opportunities, I don’t believe a non-violent marijuana possession conviction should be a crime that affects you for the rest of your life.

Legalizing the responsible adult-use of marijuana provides states the opportunity to take marijuana off the street corner and place it behind an age-verified counter to better provide for consumer and public safety and prevent youth access. Taxing and regulating the adult-use of marijuana also provides economic stimulus through job creation and tax revenue. Do you support or oppose legalizing and regulating the responsible use of marijuana by adults?

Support

Please provide a position statement regarding legalizing and regulating the responsible use of marijuana by adults.

I personally believe in legalizing recreational marijuana use, however, I am running to represent a community, so before actively pursuing recreational legalization, I would need to do a poll of my constituents and make sure it’s what they want.

Learn more about the campaign of Andi Rich for 89th Assemlby on her campaign facebook page and visiting her website at http://www.andirichforwi.com/

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Karl Jaeger is the Democrat on the ticket for this race. In the past years our chapter has conducted many outreach meetings to the Marinette County area where this candidate lives. We contacted him and he had a great knowledge base about the need for marijuana reform by stating “it’s definitely a conversation that needs to happen. My house is just a couple of miles from the Michigan border and it seems a touch ridiculous to me that something can be legal there and a felony just across the bridge.” He added, “everyone knows that Big Business has great representation in Madison–it’s the everyday people of Wisconsin who need it. I will put people first and represent the citizens of Wisconsin. I will work to make Wisconsin a place where our children want to stay and raise their own families.“

He immediately returned our 2020 Candidate Questionnaire and we are happy to report his answers to you to below:

Support

Please provide a position statement regarding legalizing the medical use of marijuana.

I support legalizing the medical use of marijuana in Wisconsin, and I support ending the federal prohibition of marijuana. Medical cannabis regulatory laws are not associated with an uptick overall criminal activity.

Do you support or oppose decriminalizing the simple possession of marijuana?

Support

Please provide a position statement regarding decriminalizing the simple possession of marijuana.

While not a marijuana user myself, I support decriminalizing the simple possession of marijuana. it’s definitely a conversation that needs to happen. My house is just a couple of miles from the Michigan border and it seems a bit silly to me that something can be legal there and a illegal just across the bridge.

Yes

Please provide a position statement regarding automatic expungement of non-violent marijuana possession convictions.

I support the expungement of non-violent marijuana possession convictions. Wisconsin has the highest rate of racial disparity in the Country and expunging of non-violent marijuana possession convictions will contribute to improving that statistic. African Americans are arrested for violating marijuana possession laws at nearly four times the rates of whites, yet both ethnicities consume marijuana at roughly the same rates. Our communities are strongest when all individuals are treated fairly and have equal justice under the law.

Support

Please provide a position statement regarding legalizing and regulating the responsible use of marijuana by adults.

While not a marijuana user myself, I support legalizing and regulating the responsible use of marijuana by adults. As we have seen, adult use marijuana laws are not associated with an uptick overall criminal activity and marijuana regulation is associated with increased tax revenue and job creation.

The campaign earned an A+ rating from NORML.

You can follow his campaign on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/JaegerForWisconsin/ or visit his website to learn more: https://www.jaegerforwisconsin.com/

General Election is Tuesday November 3rd, 2020.

Learn more about how to register to vote at https://norml.org/act/register-to-vote or MyVote.wi.gov

Learn more about requesting an absentee ballot / voting by mail at MyVote.Wi.Gov