Diana Lawrence (D) to challenge David Murphy (R) for AD 56

Assembly District 56 (MAP) in in parts of Outagamie and Winnebago Counties, including parts of the city of Appleton, Greenville and Winneconne.

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Diana Lawrence (D) supported legalization of marijuana in 2018 candidate interview. In her run against incumbent Murphy.

In her most recent 2020 campaign news interview Lawrence said she “would take a look at” legalizing recreational marijuana.

“You’re walking a tightrope here,” she said. “It is technically a drug, but it’s not as bad as some of the other stuff we have out there. So I think that if we just legalize it — and I really hate that tax bit. That’s not important to me that you can put taxes on it. But I do think that we should legalize it.“

Learn more about her campaign on facebook and by visiting her website.

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Unfortunately Republican Dave Murphy from Appleton has not sponsored any marijuana reform legislation since being elected to the State Assembly in 2012.

During 2019, the Assembly Republicans circulated and prefiled a bill for the 2020 legislative session to create a medical marijuana program in Wisconsin (Assembly Bill 750) which Assembly Rep. Murphy did not co-sponsor.

Rep. Murphy could save his failing grade by helping the medical marijuana bills “stuck” in committee and being denied a public hearing. Although Rep. Murphy is not a member of the Assembly Committee on State Affairs, we would ask constituents in his district to call Murphy and ask him to support AB 750 and call on the committee members to hold a public hearing.

Late in the session, a bi-partisan effort to decriminalize 10 grams or less of marijuana in Wisconsin. Assembly Bill 1004 did not attract the attention of Rep. David Murphy as he did not sign on as a co-sponsor.

In his October 2020 news interview Murphy said he is against the legalization of recreational marijuana. He said he’s based his opinion on conversations with law enforcement officers, many of whom are against legalizing it.

He pointed to issues in other states that have legalized recreational marijuana, such as California and Colorado. In those states, marijuana continues to be sold illegally, he said. Marijuana use can also impact worker productivity, Murphy said, which hurts the economy.

Murphy said he would consider legalizing the drug for medical use.

Contact Email: diane.handrick@legis.wisconsin.gov

Web: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/56/murphy

Phone: 608-266-7500 Address: State Capitol, Room 318 North Post Office Box 8953, Madison, WI 53708