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| City Council Passes Pot Ordinance |
Tickets could be issued instead of state charges now that the Galesburg City Council has allowed for it in cases of possession of two-and-a-half grams of marijuana or less.
Aldermen Monday night voted four-to-three to pass an ordinance to that effect. Aldermen Ken Goad, Wayne Dennis, and Wayne Allen voted against the measure, and Mayor Sal Garza didn't vote, only saying he reserved the right to cast a vote within the next five days.
At issue during part of Monday night's hour-long discussion on the matter was whether or not police would actually use what's been described as "another tool in the toolbox." Galesburg Police Captain Rodney Riggs told aldermen, it's possible, depending on the circumstance.
"I can't answer where it would be a benefit or not a benefit, without it being in effect, and seeing how it works," Riggs said. "Would I have used it when I was on the streets? Probably."
Aldermen did amend the ordinance to lower the fine from $500 to $300, at the request of Third Ward Alderman Russell Fleming. Also done at Fleming's request: adding language that suggests that the ordinance couldn't be enforced if the state were to make marijuana legal.
Some said what they considered to be a lesser punishment wouldn't be any way to deter marijuana usage, especially among youth.
(Tina Gummerson of the Knox County Substance Abuse and Prevention Coalition speaks during Monday night's Galesburg City Council meeting. WGIL News Story and Photo by Will Stevenson.) |
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| 08 07 12 by Newsroom |
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