Bill targets marijuana edibles, Ricketts asks McPherson to resign over bigoted blog post

Proposals designed to crack down on edible forms of marijuana and to combat human trafficking were among those discussed as bill introduction continued in the Nebraska Legislature Thursday.

Attorney General Doug Peterson, flanked by law enforcement officials and advocates, highlighted proposals dealing with drugs and human trafficking at a news conference Thursday. Peterson said the marijuana industry in Colorado is hurting young people in Nebraska.

"They’ve created a concentrated drug. They’ve put it in such things as candy bars, power drinks, (and) butter," with high THC concentrations, he said. Peterson said the situation has brought out the "best of the entrepreneurial spirit," but at the expense of young people.

Peterson cited a study by Harvard and Northwestern universities that said young people who used marijuana recreationally showed significant abnormalities in brain regions important in emotion and motivation.

The bill he endorsed, LB326, would make possession of an ingestible containing marijuana a class 4 felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Possession of up to an ounce of marijuana itself would remain an infraction, punishable with a fine of $300. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg.

Peterson also endorsed a bill increasing penalties for human trafficking for purposes of labor or sexual exploitation. The attorney general said Nebraska’s more lenient penalties are hurting the state. "What that does is it sends a message to those who traffic young people that in Nebraska it is a safer state to practice this illegal act than in others," he said. "It’s my understanding that in the Council Bluffs – Omaha area, those who traffic young people understand that it’s better to stay in Nebraska than to go across the river, because if you go into Iowa the penalties are stronger and you also subject yourself to the federal jurisdiction because of the interstate activity." The bill, LB294, was introduced by Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk.

Also Thursday, senators debated the rules they’ll use in the future. The longest debate centered on whether future elections for speaker and committee chairs should be conducted with senators voting publicly, or by secret ballot, as is currently the case. Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte was among those advocating for public elections. "The thirst for power and the lust for acclaim is part of the human nature. The temptation to trade votes to make deals, or to make deals on future support, are too easily achieved behind the veneer of a secret vote," he said.

But Bellevue Sen. Sue Crawford argued a secret vote makes such deals unenforceable. And she said public votes would give more power to partisanship and money. Crawford said chairmanships in every other state are determined by political parties and are "very much tied often to people’s fundraising abilities."

"When parties are able to determine who sits in a chair, guess what? All of a sudden there is another lever for parties to use to raise money," she said.

The attempt to change the rules and require public elections failed, with 33 senators opposed and only 12 in favor.

And on another matter, Gov. Pete Ricketts called on Pat McPherson to resign from the State Board of Education over comments published on McPherson’s "Objective Conservative" blog calling President Barack Obama "our great Black Leader." The post added and adding "actually, if he were a Republican the liberals would call him what he is — a half-breed."

McPherson, a Republican as is Ricketts, has said he didn’t write the post, which has since been removed, although he took responsibility for not editing it. Nevertheless, Ricketts said "While many Nebraskans disagree with our president on many issues, he is deserving of the same civility and respect we give one another. There is no room for bigotry."

"I respect the will of the people," Ricketts continued, referring to McPherson’s election last November, but added, "as additional information about the frequency of these bigoted comments on the blog has become available, it is clear that this controversy will hinder the State Board of Education from accomplishing its goals."

McPherson did not immediately return a call seeking comment.