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Jack Markell on Drugs

Delaware Democratic Governor

 


Decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana

Gov. Jack Markell signed legislation decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana in Delaware. Markell signed the bill privately shortly after it passed the Democrat-controlled Senate on a straight party-line vote. "The governor remains committed to reducing the number of people entering the criminal justice system and refocusing resources where they are needed most," a Markell spokeswoman said.

Opponents expressed concerns that the legislation sends the wrong message to children, `and that it will lead to greater acceptance and use of illegal drugs while hampering the abilities of police to conduct searches and seizures. "This is a bill we're going to regret," said Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Dover. "The message we're sending young people is one we simply should not send."

The legislation makes possession by an adult of a "personal use" quantity of marijuana, defined as an ounce or less, a civil offense punishable by a fine of $100, rather than a crime.

Source: Washington Post on 2016 Delaware gubernatorial race , Jun 18, 2015

Addiction is a disease; fill gaps in drug treatment system

Much crime is committed by people with substance abuse problems. 71% of men arrested tested positive for an illegal substance. Too often, our solution is to simply throw the drug user in prison, but many of these individuals need treatment more than a prison guard.

For many addicts, it's possible to deal with their disease successfully and go on to live happy, productive lives. There are stories like a teenage girl who lapsed into drug and alcohol use following her father's suicide and landed in jail, but with assistance of a Drug Court program overcame her addiction and got a college education.

We all know people with addictions who, with the right intervention, could live fulfilling lives. It's time for us to put into practice what we already know: addiction is a disease. It can and must be treated. Later this year, I will propose changes that better align our resources to fill the gaps in our drug treatment system and I look forward to working with you to fill these gaps.

Source: 2014 State of the State Address to Delaware legislature , Jan 23, 2014

Six new state troopers to focus on gangs & drug-trafficking

The Delaware State Police and their county colleagues are working to reduce violent crime in the City of Wilmington. Those efforts include intelligence gathering, targeted investigations, and an emphasis on ensuring that our most violent offenders are off the street. Last year, I authorized six new state troopers from the Violent Crime Fund to focus on the violent gangs and drug-trafficking groups that commit the majority of homicides in Delaware. This year, I propose funding for six additional troopers with the same focus.

We know what after-school and summer programs do for kids: research has demonstrated that they improve academic performance, reduce drop-out rates, reduce depression, improve self-control and self-esteem, and prevent risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol use and juvenile crime. I will propose that we provide more opportunities for after-school and summer activities that get kids off the streets and give them exposure to the arts, nature, and physical activity.

Source: 2013 Del. State of the State speech , Jan 17, 2013

Other governors on Drugs: Jack Markell on other issues:
DE Gubernatorial:
John Carney
DE Senatorial:
Chris Coons
Christine O`Donnell
Kevin Wade
Tom Carper

Gubernatorial Debates 2017:
NJ: Fulop(D) vs.Lesniak(D)
VA: Gillespie(R) vs.Wittman(R) vs.Northam(D)
Gubernatorial Debates 2016:
DE: Bonini(R) vs.Carney(D)
IN: Pence(R) vs.Gregg(D)
MO: Hanaway(R) vs.Brunner(R) vs.Kinder(R) vs.Greitens(R)
MT: Bullock(D) vs.Perea(R) vs.Johnson(R) vs.Gianforte(R) vs.McChesney(D)
NC: McCrory(R) vs.Cooper(D) vs.Spaulding(D)
ND: Dalrymple(R) vs.Stenehjem(R) vs.Becker(R) vs.Heitkamp(D) vs.Pomeroy(D)
NH: Hassan(D) vs.Bradley(R) vs.Sununu(R) vs.Lavoie(R) vs.Connolly(D) vs.Dextraze(I)
OR: Brown(D) vs.Bell(D) vs.Niemeyer(R) vs.Pierce(R)
UT: Herbert(R) vs.Johnson(R) vs.Cook(D)
VT: Shumlin(D) vs.Minter(D) vs.Dunne(D) vs.Scott(R) vs.Lisman(R) vs.Smith(D)
WA: Inslee(D) vs.Bryant(R)
WV: Kessler(R) vs.Cole(D) 		Newly-elected governors (first seated in Jan. 2015):
AK-I: Bill Walker
AR-R: Asa Hutchinson
AZ-R: Doug Ducey
IL-R: Bruce Rauner
MA-R: Charlie Baker
MD-R: Larry Hogan
NE-R: Pete Ricketts
OR-D: Kate Brown
PA-D: Tom Wolf
RI-D: Gina Raimondo
TX-R: Greg Abbott

Lame ducks 2015-16:
DE-D: Jack Markell
(term-limited 2016)
KY-D: Steve Beshear
(term-limited 2015)
LA-R: Bobby Jindal
(term-limited 2015)
MO-D: Jay Nixon
(term-limited 2016)
VT-D: Peter Shumlin
(retiring 2016)
WV-D: Earl Ray Tomblin
(term-limited 2016) 		Abortion
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Page last updated: Sep 11, 2016