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The Pennsylvania Senate on Wednesday approved a bill to safeguard banks and insurers against being penalized by state regulators for working with state-legal medical marijuana businesses.

The bipartisan legislation from Sens. John DiSanto (R) and Sharif Street (D) moved through two committees in recent days before being taken up on the floor and passing in a 46-3 vote. It now heads to the House.

This effort is yet another example of how states are working to provide financial protections to institutions that are willing to service the cannabis market as Congress continues to stall on a federal fix.

Federal prohibition has forced the cannabis industry to deal with cash, as proceeds may be considered a federal crime, DiSanto said on the floor on Wednesday, adding that the cash-intensive nature of the existing marketplace makes dispensaries a target for armed robbery.

Improved access to financial services will reduce this public safety risk, he said. Banking this cash in Pennsylvania will grow our economy and lower costs for medical patients.

The Pennsylvania billwould not immunize banks and insurers from potential federal repercussionsbut its an interim step meant to signal to the financial sector that they at least wont face penalties under state law.

DiSanto and Street previouslycirculated a co-sponsorship memo to colleagues ahead of the banking bills introduction that addressed the public safety problems posed to marijuana businesses without access to traditional financial services, forcing many to operate with large volumes of cash that make them targets of crime.

Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,000 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they dont miss any developments.Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.

Street said on the floor on Wednesday that the legislation will take the first step toward reform by allowing and making it more feasible for people in the cannabis business to move away from being a cash business [and] to use our banking system.

The move to provide state-level protections could add pressure on congressional lawmakers to enact a federal change, such as the bipartisan Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act that haspassed the House in some form six timesat this point, only to stall in the Senate.

One possible vehicle for that congressional policy change could be a large-scale manufacturing and innovation bill, where marijuana banking was included by the House andmay now be taken up by appointed negotiatorsin both chambers as they head to conference.

The text of the Pennsylvanialegislationstates that a financial institution authorized to engage in business in this Commonwealth may provide financial services to or for the benefit of a legitimate cannabis-related business and the business associates of a legitimate cannabis-related business. The same protections would also be codified for insurers.

However, it specifies that the bill would not require banks or insurers to provide services to medical marijuana businesses.

The legislation says that state government agencies cannot prohibit, penalize or otherwise discourage a financial institution or insurer from providing financial or insurance services to a legitimate cannabis-related business or the business associates of a legitimate cannabis-related business.

It also says agencies cannot recommend, incentivize or encourage a financial institution or insurer to not provide services just because a business is associated with marijuana.

Further, state agencies could not take adverse or corrective supervisory action on a loan made to a legitimate cannabis-related business, the text says.

These are the types of policies that advocates and stakeholders have been pushing Congress to enact at the federal level, but it remains to be seen when that might happen.

Rodney Hood, a board member and former chairman of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), has repeatedlyemphasized the urgent need for a federal resolutionto the marijuana banking problem. He recentlyapplauded efforts by lawmakers in states like Pennsylvaniato address the issue within their jurisdictions, but he said its not enough.

The federal financial regulator also noted that New York lawmakers are seeking toprovide tax breaks for the forthcoming marijuana market,sending a budget proposal to the governorover the weekend that would do just that.

A New York senator is also seeking to give banks in the state a little peace of mind about working with legal marijuana businesses, filing a bill on Tuesday that would allow regulators to disclose certain information about cannabis licensees to financial institutions.

Washington State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti (D) has also been especially vocal about the need for congressional reform, and hewrote in a recent letter to his colleaguesin other states that its just not safe to have this financial volume in cash.

Pellicciotti made similar remarks at arecent conference of the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST). And Colorado Treasurer Dave Youngechoed that sentiment in a recent interviewwith Marijuana Moment.

The sponsor of the congressional SAFE Banking Act, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), told Marijuana Moment on Monday that hes hopeful that his reform legislation will be attached to the final America COMPETES Act thats heading to conference.

The congressman pointed out that more than two-thirds of the conferees [for the large-scale bill] have already voted for or cosponsored the SAFE Banking Act.

One of those conferees, longstanding marijuana reform champion Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), said in an op-ed for Marijuana Moment this week thatthe banking reform measure as a huge steptoward public safety and equity in the industry.

Perlmutter also recentlyspoke with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellenabout the marijuana banking issue during a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee. And the secretary said that its extremely frustrating that Congress hasnt been able to resolve it.

The sponsor has even made a point to talk about enacting the reform legislationduring committee hearings on ostensibly unrelated or wider-ranging legislation, like at a recent House Rules Committee hearing.

At a recent event hosted by the American Bankers Association (ABA), the congressman said that he willcontinue to be a real pest, and persistent in getting this donebefore he retires from Congress at the end of the session.

Despite recentlysaying that hes confident that the Senate will take up his billthis session, Perlmutter recognized that while hes supportive of revisions related to criminal justice reform, taxation, research and other issues, he knows that as we expand this thing, then we start losing votes, particularly Republican votes and we got enough votes in the Senate to do it as is.

Ahead of last months ABA event, the financial group released a poll that it commissioned showing that a strong majority of Americanssupport freeing up banks to work with marijuana businesseswithout facing federal penalties.

Meanwhile, the number of banks that report working with marijuana businessesticked up again near the end of 2021, according to recently released federal data.

Its not clear if the increase is related to congressional moves to pass a bipartisan cannabis banking reform bill, but the figures from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) signal that financial institutions continue to feel more comfortable servicing businesses in state-legal markets.

Some Republicans are scratching their heads about how Democrats have so far failed to pass the modest banking reform with majorities in both chambers and control of the White House, too. For example, Rep. Rand Paul (R-KY)criticized his Democratic colleagues over the issuein December.

Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, another Republican senator recently announced that he will soon be introducing a bill to allow medical marijuana patients in the stateto buy cannabis edibles at dispensaries.

Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), who has also sponsoredlegislation to legalize marijuana for adult useandallow patients to cultivate cannabis for personal use, said that patients should be able to buy edible medical cannabis that is safe, uniform and securely packaged and labeled, just as they do in 25 other states that have legalized medical cannabis.

Separately, the Senate Law and Justice Committeeheld the last of three scheduled hearings on marijuana legalizationlast month, taking testimony thats designed to help inform a forthcoming reform bill that the panels chairman is actively drafting.

Sen. Mike Regan (R), who chairs the panel,circulated a cosponsorship memo last yearalong with Rep. Amen Brown (D) to build support for the reform, and these meetings are designed to give lawmakers added context into the best approach to legalization for the state.

While reform bills have been introduced in past sessions and the policy change has the support of Gov. Tom Wolf (D), the series of hearings marked the first times a legislative panel had debated recreational legalization in the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Pennsylvania lawmakers could also take up more modest marijuana reform proposals like a bill filed late last year toexpand the number of medical marijuana cultivatorsin the state, prioritizing small farms to break up what she characterized as a monopoly or large corporations thats created supply problems.

Additionally, another pair of state lawmakersReps. Jake Wheatley (D) and Dan Frankel (D)formally unveiled a legalization bill theyre proposinglast year.

Philadelphia voters alsoapproved a referendum on marijuana legalizationin November that adds a section to the city charter saying that the citizens of Philadelphia call upon the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the Governor to pass legislation that will decriminalize, regulate, and tax the use, and sale to adults aged 21 years or older, of cannabis for non-medical purposes.

Wolf, the governor,said last year that marijuana legalization was a priorityas he negotiated the annual budget with lawmakers. However, his formal spending request didnt contain legislative language to actually accomplish the cannabis policy change.

The governor, who signeda medical cannabis expansion bill in June, has repeatedly called for legalization andpressured the Republican-controlled legislature to pursue the reformsincecoming out in favor of the policy in 2019. Shortly after he did that, a lawmaker filed a separate bill tolegalize marijuana through a state-run model.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), who is running for U.S. Senate this year, said one of his key goals in his final year in office is to ensure that as many eligible people as possible submitapplicationsto have the courtsremove their cannabis records and restore opportunitiesto things like housing, student financial aid and employment through an expedited petition program.

A survey from Franklin & Marshall College released last year found that60 percent of Pennsylvania voters back adult-use legalization. Thats the highest level of support for the issue since the firm started polling people about it in 2006.

An attempt to provide protections for Pennsylvania medical marijuana patients from being charged with driving under the influencewas derailed in the legislature last year, apparently due to pushback by the state police association.

Also, a bill meant to promoteresearch into the therapeutic potential of psilocybin mushroomsfor certain mental health conditions may be in jeopardy, with the sponsor saying recently that the chair of a key House committee is expressing reservations even after the legislation was amended in an effort to build support.

New York Senator Files Bill To Promote Marijuana Banking By Giving Financial Institutions Access To Business Information

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Pennsylvania Senate Approves Marijuana Banking Bill, Sending It To The House - Marijuana Moment

A new ad campaign for Republican Ohio Senate candidate Mike Gibbons hits his rivals J.D. Vance and Jane Timken on taxes.

Gibbons made remarks during a podcast interview last fall that recently gained attention, suggesting that middle-class people do not pay any kind of a fair share in income taxes.

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR HOPEFUL KEEPS DISTANCE FROM NEW PHILADELPHIA MASK MANDATE

The top 20% of earners in the United States pay 82% of federal income tax and, if you do the math, and 45% to 50% dont pay any income tax, you can see the middle class is not really paying any kind of a fair share, depending on how you want to define it, Gibbons said.

Gibbonss rivals in the crowded and competitive primary pounced on the comments, with Vance and Timken both arguing Gibbons wants to raise taxes on the middle class. Timkens statement said Gibbons may think the middle class only exists to win an election.

The new ad from the Gibbons campaign says he does not support raising taxes and that rivals took his words out of context to hide their own terrible records; the video features Sen. Rand Paul, who has endorsed Gibbons.

Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said Gibbons is a conservative outsider who will end reckless spending in Washington.

In response to his rivals criticisms, the Gibbons ad cites a 2021 tweet from Vance in which he wrote, in part, Raise their taxes. Vances tweet quoted another tweet referencing reports of a meeting between top corporate officials discussing how to respond to state voting laws.

Raise their taxes and do whatever else is necessary to fight these goons, Vances full tweet said. We can have an American Republic or a global oligarchy, and its time for choosing.

At this very moment there are companies (big and small) paying good wages to American workers, investing in their communities, and making it easier for American families, he added in a subsequent post. Cut their taxes. No more subsidies to the anti-American business class.

The ad takes aim at Timken, a former chairwoman of the Ohio Republican Party, who it says bankrolled tax-raising politicians, pointing to a 2019 Ohio bill passed by the Republican Legislature permitting politicians to serve on boards of directors while holding office. Timken was not in the Legislature but was party chairwoman at the time.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

A recent RealClearPolitics average of Ohio Senate polls found Gibbons leading the primary field by 1.3 points.

See more here:
Gibbons ad hits Vance and Timken on taxes in fiery Ohio GOP Senate primary - Washington Examiner

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Repeated attacks by former President Donald Trump as he tries to oust Rep. Liz Cheney from Congress keep fueling massive fundraising by the Republican lawmaker from Wyoming.

Cheney the most high-profile of the 10 House Republicans who voted 15 months ago toimpeach Trump for allegedly sparking the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol on Monday reported hauling in $2.94 million in the January-March first quarter as she runs for re-election this year.

The three-term conservative congresswoman who represents Wyomings at-large district also reported holding $6.8 million cash on hand in her campaign coffers as of the end of March. Cheney raised $1.5 million, $1.9 million, $1.7 million, and just over $2 million in the four fundraising quarters of 2021. Cheneys new fundraising figures were first reported by Politico and confirmed by Fox News.

TRUMP BACKED CHENEY CHALLENGER HAGEMAN RAISES $1.3 MILLION IN FIRST QUARTER

Cheney released her fundraising figures a couple of days afterHarriet Hageman, the leading Republican candidate challenging Cheney, announced that she brought in roughly over $1.3 million the past three months, according to figures shared first with Fox News. Hageman, whos backed by Trump, also reported just over $1 million cash on hand.

Rep. Liz Cheney speaks during a business meeting of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 19, 2021. (Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Cheney, a longtime vocal GOP Trump critic, was the most senior of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach the then-president on a chargeof inciting the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by right-wing extremists and other Trump supporters who aimed to disrupt congressional certification of now-President Biden's Electoral College victory in the 2020 election.

Cheney, a conservative lawmaker and defense hawk whosthe daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, immediately came under verbal attack from Trump and his allies, and last May was ousted from her number-three House GOP leadership position.

CHENEY TELLS FOX NEWS THAT BEHIND THE SCENES, MANY IN GOP ARE THANKING HER

Cheney, whos been very vocal in emphasizing the importance of defending the nation's democratic process and of putting country before party, is one of only two Republicans serving on a special select committee organized by House Democrats to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol.

Republican congressional candidate Harriet Hageman speaks with voters at an Albany County GOP breakfast in Laramie, Wyoming, on Jan. 8, 2022. (Harriet Hageman congressional campaign)

Trump, stepping up his efforts to oust Cheney from Congress, endorsed Hageman as she entered the race. And the former president and his allies successfully urged some, but not all, of the other anti-Cheney candidates to drop out of the primary and coalesce around Hageman. The highest profile of those staying in the race is state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, a strong supporter of the former president.

The Republican National Committee in February censured Cheney over her role on the Jan. 6 committee. Defending herself, the congresswoman said at the time, "Im a constitutional conservative and I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump."

LIZ CHENEY HAULS IN OVER $7 MILLION LAST YEAR AS SHE FENDS OFF PUSH BY TRUMP TO OUST HER FROM CONGRESS

Cheney caught a break last month when the Wyoming legislature decided against scrapping same-day party registration in primaries, which would have prevented Democrats from crossing party lines and registering as Republicans to vote for Cheney in the states Aug. 16 primary. The move by Wyomings legislature was seen as a defeat for Trump and his allies, who pushed to end same-day party registration.

Cheneys first-quarter haul was boosted by a lucrative fundraiser on her behalf headlined last month by Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee and a vocal Republican Trump critic.

Sen. Mitt Romney walks through the Senate subway on his way to a security briefing on Russias invasion of Ukraine on Capitol Hill, March 30, 2022. (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz)

Former President George W. Bush, and former Republican House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan, have also helped raise campaign cash for Cheney.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Hagemans first-quarter haul was boosted by three top-dollar fundraisers on her behalf. They were a fundraiser in Miami hosted by PayPal co-founder and billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel, who's a Trump ally; a fundraiser at the former presidents Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, hosted by Sen. Rand Paul, where Trump made an appearance; and a fundraiser in the nations capital headlined by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

McCarthy is one of dozens of House Republicans who are backing Hageman in her push to oust Cheney.

See the article here:
Targeted by Trump, Cheney hauls in nearly $3 million the past three months for her re-election run - Fox News

And as hes done many times, Paul is not budging under growing bipartisan pressure.

Somebody ought to read the bills, dont you think? Paul said in a brief interview, dismissing his colleagues posture on Ukraine as saber-rattling. Most of this is symbolic.

In many ways its vintage Paul: Stake out an outlier position and stick with it, disregarding the ensuing barrage of internal criticism. The Kentuckian was the only Republican senator to leave his name off a recent statement opposing a new nuclear deal with Iran.

Then there was late last year, when he was the face of opposition to additional funding for Israels Iron Dome missile defense system just as his party was criticizing Biden and Democrats for not supporting Israel enough. He also rose to prominence with his stand with Rand filibuster against the nomination of John Brennan to be CIA director, and he single-handedly caused a brief government shutdown in 2018 over his demands for an amendment.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022 on Capitol Hill.|Greg Nash/AP Photo

But his latest rebellion comes at a perilous time, both for the world and for Republican messaging efforts. The GOP drumbeat of criticism casting Biden as slow and ineffective raged for weeks, and now a member of their own party is getting in the way of one of the few meaningful actions Congress can take in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Its possible that passage of the trade bill, a top priority of Bidens, could slip late into April at this point.

On Monday, Republicans aired long-building exasperation with Paul, with Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) simply throwing up his arms when asked if there was anything GOP leaders could do to move him. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who recently traveled to Poland, said Paul has the right to do it, but its not helpful for her partys message.

And after a lengthy sigh, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) put it even more bluntly when asked about Paul: Its what weve come to expect.

Theres a constant mismatch between what Republicans say and do on Ukraine, said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), citing the large numbers of GOP lawmakers who opposed a wide-ranging spending bill that sent $14 billion in aid to Ukraine. When they have a chance, over and over again Republicans are not voting for the things Ukraine needs.

But some Republicans said it was simply a matter of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer prioritizing the trade bill and dismissed suggestions that Pauls holdup undermined their messaging effort. Schumer could have allocated enough floor time to overcome Pauls objections rather than counting on a fast-tracked process that requires unanimous support, they pointed out.

Weve been remarkably unified as a party, said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who has been one of the GOPs leading voices on Ukraine. But, as Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) put it, each individual senator is a free agent.

Because of the way the chamber operates, scheduling a quick vote requires consent from all 100 senators. Schumer could schedule a separate vote on the legislation that wouldnt require unanimous support, but it would tie up the Senate floor for as long as a week. And that could complicate Democrats efforts to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court before the forthcoming Easter recess.

I dont begrudge senators expressing themselves. I dont think we ought to censor different points of view, Cornyn said. Its just a matter of Sen. Schumer making it a priority and jumping through all the hoops.

Whats more, Republicans say they wouldnt necessarily support moving the trade bill on its own, and they cant pass both at the same time if the trade bill has to go through the typical floor process. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) spent days negotiating an agreement to move both the trade legislation and a bill banning Russian oil imports; he said trying to push through just the trade bill would break that agreement.

It wouldnt work, Crapo said. He insisted that he was still discussing the situation with Paul.

Paul was the lone objector to speeding up the Senates consideration last week of a House-passed bill to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus. The House bill cleared that chamber with 424 votes, and the eight lawmakers who opposed it all Republicans took issue with the bills reauthorization and expansion of the Global Magnitsky Act, a landmark 2016 law that allows the president to punish human-rights abusers worldwide.

Pauls objections stem from similar concerns, and he has refused to agree to a quick vote unless the underlying legislation is changed. Last week, Schumer proposed that the Senate vote on a Paul-authored amendment to the bill in exchange for moving it quickly, but Paul rejected that offer.

The late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) co-authored the Magnitsky Act, and it has enjoyed broad support from both parties over the years. But some conservatives have argued that the expansion approved by the House would allow the president to pursue sanctions based on political ideology or social agendas.

On Monday, Paul said Senate leaders havent been too interested in a compromise and reiterated his concerns that the Magnitsky Act provisions in the trade bill have no restrictions or restraint. There have to be some rules.

Im not against the content of what theyre doing. I told them they could have it, if they define this, he added.

Regardless of Pauls push, however, his proposed changes are going nowhere no matter how long it takes for the Senate to finish up the bill aimed at debilitating Russias economy.

To think that he stopped the process on an amendment that lost in committee, 19-1, said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). It just tells you what can happen around here when people abuse the authority they have as senator.

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Rand's latest stand undercuts GOP's Ukraine message - POLITICO

Rand Pauls wife, Kelley, got a jumpstart on marking Transgender Day of Visibility by firing off a psychotic tweet ranting and raving about Chinese third graders, math, and men having babies.

Related: 6 binge-worthy shows that celebrate trans visibility and give us hope

Yesterday, Mrs. Paul tweeted: Chinese third graders are learning multi-variable calculus. Our third graders are being taught that men can have babies. This will not end well.

OK first, we would like to meet these Chinese third graders learning multi-variable calculus. Second, sex ed is definitely not being taught to third graders in the United States. And third, Kelleys tweet, like Kelley herself, is complete garbage. Sadly, its right on brand for the extreme right-wing activist and frequent guest on Fox News.

Related: Rand Pauls wife is freaking out over an elementary school Pride event that happened a year ago

Mrs. Paul has quite a history of saying stupid things on social media. Last week, she tweeted about her outrage over an elementary school in Austin, Texas that held a Pride parade for students back in April 2021. Last month, she tweeted her support for transphobic childrens author JK Rowling. And last year, she accused 80s singer Richard Marx, best known for his 1989 worldwide hit single Right Here Waiting, of trying to get her husband killed.

Related: Rand Paul and his wife accuse 80s singer of possibly being behind foiled plot to have them killed

Were sure Kelleys transphobic tweet being fired off the day before Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual event occurring on March 31 that celebrates trans people and raises awareness of the discrimination they still face worldwide, was no coincidence.

Now, some responses

See the article here:
Rand Paul's wife is losing it on Twitter over Chinese third graders, math, and men having babies - Queerty