Milwaukee County is one step away from letting voters share their opinions on legalizing marijuana. A county board committee unanimously approved a proposal Thursday to put it on the November ballot.
One by one, dozens of supporters of legalizing marijuana in Wisconsin made their voices heard in front of a Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors committee.
The measure received bipartisan support on a proposal that would put one additional question on the November ballot in Milwaukee County:
"Do you favor allowing adults 21 and older to engage in the personal use of marijuana, while also regulating commercial marijuana-related activities and imposing a tax on the sale of marijuana?"
The referendum was brought forth by Supervisor John Weishan Jr.
"There's definitely a large amount of people, not only throughout Milwaukee County, but the state of Wisconsin who want to see this initiative put forward," Weishan Jr. said.
Nearly two years ago, the Marquette Law School Poll found 59 percent of Wisconsin voters want marijuana to be legalized.
Wisconsin's top politicians aren't on the same page. Gov. Scott Walker, Attorney General Brad Schimel and a vast majority of Republicans in Madison believe legalizing marijuana would lead to a spike in crime.
The proposal to put the question on the ballot now goes to the full board for approval on May 24. While this referendum wouldn't change law, Weishman Jr. hopes it would create momentum moving forward.
