Marijuana ballot campaign urges Gov. Rick Snyder to veto 180-day signature bill

MILegalize is a group currently pursuing signatures for an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in Michigan, but the governor has an upcoming choice to pass or veto a seperate bill that would not only effect the outcome of MILegalize's initiative, but could limit progress for years to come. If the bill passes, it would disallow the use of signatures gathered outside of a 180 day period, even when signatures are accompanied by a validated affidavit. MILegalize needs 252,523 signatures total by June 1st and they will need each and every signature possible to bring their initiative to November's ballot. If the secondary bill passes, it will not only hinder the voter's ability to legalize marijuana, but other important groups like The Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan also plan to use signatures passed the 180 day mark.

Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, pointed to it as politically motivated and urged his colleagues to vote against it Wednesday.

"I beg you, do not diminish the power of the people because you're wrapped up in the current politics. What about the issues five years from now? What about the issues 10 years from now?" Irwin asked.

"I think it's a foolish move and very shortsighted and it's going to result in a cost to the taxpayer in litigation," Hank said