Not that anyone here had a reason to vote for him but you can this to the long list of reasons Bruce Rauner (R. IL) is wrong for Illinois:
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/...
Republican candidate for governor Bruce Rauner today revealed he opposes the legal use of medical marijuana, prompting a blistering response from the Democratic lawmaker who wrote the law.
“Medical marijuana is not something I’ve supported but it’s not a big issue for me either way,” he said. “I think there are other priorities.”
Rauner’s comments came at a news conference highlighting what he says are shortcomings in the application process for medical marijuana growers and sellers.
State Representative Lou Lang (D-Skokie) called Rauner’s comments, “heartless” and “appalling.”
“That means he would have vetoed the opportunity for some of the sickest people in our state to get a product they need to improve their quality of life,” Lang said. - CBS Chicago, 9/16/14
Not only that, this doofus is attacking Governor Pat Quinn (D. IL) on this issue:
http://www.mystateline.com/...
It has been a week since businesses started applying for medical marijuana cultivation licenses to operate in Illinois, but there’s already uproar in Springfield. Republican nominee for governor, Bruce Rauner (R), is attacking Governor Pat Quinn (D) for making the application process secretive.
Last year, the Illinois General Assembly passed a law that made marijuana for medical purposes legal in Illinois. Licenses are required by upstart businesses to grow the drug, and licenses area available statewide in a configuration of one per Illinois State Police district. Winnebago, Boone, Stephenson, Jo Davies make up State Police District 6.
The Quad City Times reported that the law bars the public release of applicant identification information. The bill’s sponsor State Representative Lou Lang told the paper, “The confidentiality clause was designed so state officials who review applications will not be swayed by potential political connections.” - MyStateLine.com, 9/16/14
Not only that, Rauner said called for the state to scrap the way it’s giving out licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana:
http://politics.suntimes.com/...
The former venture capitalist said the lucrative licenses should go to the highest bidders.
Rauner proposed having an auction for medical marijuana licenses.
“Then we can actually make money from the process. Why not?” Rauner said. “Our taxpayers in Illinois deserve a break.”
Democrats and medical marijuana advocates roundly criticized Rauner’s auction suggestion, saying it would benefit the rich, hurt seriously ill patients and potentially cut out the best qualified license applicants.
But Rauner said he feared the business of medical marijuana in Illinois was secretive and ripe for corruption. State officials are now accepting business applications for those seeking to grow and sell the medical marijuana. The process opened up Sept. 8 and closes Sept. 22. Right now, there is a competitive application process for 22 licenses for cultivation centers and 60 licenses for dispensaries.
“Thanks to Pat Quinn’s secret, insider process, there are a lot of questions left unanswered,” Rauner said, reading from prepared remarks at a news conference. “But there is something we know for sure: Something stinks, and it’s not the marijuana.”
The names of those applying are not public, nor would the rejected applicants become public once the licenses are given out, according to the new law.
A chief sponsor of the legislation said the application process was designed to be secretive, so licenses aren’t given out on the basis of politics. - Chicago Sun-Times, 9/16/14
Of course medical marijuana advocates shot back:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
“I don’t think Bruce Rauner has any real interest in going after those [medical marijuana] licenses or any real skin in this game — he’s just going after the governor,” Executive Director of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization For Marijuana Reform Dan Linn told The Huffington Post by phone Wednesday.
Calling Rauner's comments "nine parts grandstanding, one part valid criticism," Linn said that while the GOP hopeful didn't specify which parts of the application he thinks should be made public, there are some parts the public has a right to view.
“Obviously there are things you can't release, like tax info or the security plan. You can't have [applicants] divulge 'We’re going to have the safes in this room,'" Linn said, noting that Massachusetts' medical marijuana application process stripped tax and other identifying information from public record.
"The public should be able to see what [an applicant's] business plan is, their community support, their research plans, what they’ll do to combat any detrimental effects in the neighborhood, their horticultural experience or their track record that verifies them as legitimate growers,” he added.
Linn said it wasn't until Rauner's comments Tuesday that the candidate was "even on the radar" with his opinion about the state's medical marijuana law. Linn noted that if Rauner saw the application process as flawed, he could have weighed in during public hearings on the law.
"There was ample time for Rauner to make comments about this — he could have done this in a press conference months ago," Linn said.
Quinn, whom NORML calls "a strong ally" of medical marijuana, couldn't resist a jab back at Rauner. "It's heartless," said a statement from his campaign, that Rauner would have vetoed a law that "will ease pain and provide relief for cancer patients (and) severely ill people."
Chris Lindsey, a legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project, told the Chicago Sun-Times it was "deeply troubling" that Rauner would suggest turning the program into a money maker:
"I’m not sure he understands what the program is for. This isn’t a way to raise revenue. This is a way to provide an option to seriously ill patients. If he wants a money maker he should follow in the footsteps of Washington and Colorado and support a system to tax and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and over. States don’t treat medical marijuana programs as a way to squeeze money from seriously ill patients.” - Huffington Post, 9/17/14
So now Illinois voters have zero reasons to sit this race out. We can't let Rauner undo or screw with the progress we've made on medical marijuana legalization. Countless sick people rely on this. Click here to donate and get involved with Quinn's campaign:
https://www.quinnforillinois.com/