Despite New Co-Sponsor, No Vote Likely For Pa. Medical Marijuana Bill
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - A suburban state senator says he now has bi-partisan support for legislation to legalize medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. But don't look for a bill on the governor's desk anytime soon.
Democratic state Senator Daylin Leach – who's also running for Congress in Pennsylvania's 13th district – has long been a champion of legalizing marijuana. But this time, he says he's picked up a Republican Senator who will co-sponsor his legislation to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Leach says it's the first time such legislation has been introduced in the state Senate with bi-partisan support.
Erik Arneson, the spokesman for Chester Republican Dominic Pileggi, the Senate majority leader, says it won't change anything.
"I don't sense any significant change in the views of the members of the Senate on the issue," Arneson says. "And the governor remains clear in his stated intention to veto it if it ever were to pass. So we have no intentions of taking the bill up any time this session."
Leach, nonetheless, calls the development "Earth-shattering."
