A bill to legalize medical marijuana in South Carolina died on the House floor on Wednesday following a nuanced debate over the constitutionality of the legislative process that the measure has moved through—before any discussion of the merits of the bill itself could occur. Advocates had already expected pushback on the Senate-passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Tom Davis (R), with opponents filing more than 1,000 amendments ahead of its floor consideration. But things became even more complicated after a constitutional challenge from Rep. John McCravy (R), who raised a point of order against the Senate bill, claiming that because it involves a tax on medical cannabis, it should have originated in the House under the state constitution’s provisions for legislation that raises revenue. House Speaker Pro Tem Thomas Pope (R) mulled the issue over during a lunch break and later ruled to sustain the point of order. Rep. Todd Rutherford (D) then sought to appeal the ruling, saying he planned an amendment to scrap the tax language later, but there was a subsequent motion to table his appeal, which was agreed upon by the body in a 59-55 vote, effectively killing the measure.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/04/2022 16:37:00