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Cannabis tax proposal fails in committee vote; sponsor voluntarily defers next steps
Summary
A proposed excise tax framework for legalized adult-use cannabis (House Bill 636) failed to pass on the committee floor after mixed testimony; sponsor later moved to voluntarily defer the bill for further work.
House Bill 636, sponsored by Representative Jordan, would have established an excise tax on adult-use cannabis and dedicated proceeds toward teacher pay increases. The committee hearing made clear the bill does not itself legalize cannabis; sponsors said the proposal would provide a revenue mechanism in the event legalization occurs by other action.
Proponents including the Marijuana Policy Project presented modeled revenue estimates prepared by counsel indicating that a 15% excise tax could produce tens of millions in the first year and higher revenue as the legal market matured; the presenter provided a five-year projection that estimated up to $228 million annually at maturity. Opponents, including public-health and faith-based witnesses, cited experience in other states, business failures and youth-use concerns and asked the committee to decline the structure. Testimony included data points on emergency-room visits and youth usage trends.
The committee took a motion to report the bill favorably but that motion failed on a recorded vote (7 yeas, 8 nays). After the vote Representative Jordan moved to voluntarily defer House Bill 636; the committee granted the voluntary deferral so the sponsor and stakeholders can continue work.
The transcript records detailed testimony for and against the taxing framework and indicates the committee will not advance the bill now but will allow additional study and stakeholder engagement.
