The Senate Judiciary Committee, which Scutari chairs, had been scheduled to hold a vote on the latest clean-up bill at 3 p.m. Wednesday. That meeting was ultimately canceled.
The committee punted on the legislation on Tuesday in order to provide more runway for negotiations between the Murphy administration and Democratic lawmakers. But after a caucus meeting early Wednesday afternoon, it became apparent there wasn’t a path forward.
If he signs the cannabis legalization bill, NJ A21 (20R), and accompanying decriminalization measure, NJ A1897 (20R), currently on his desk, he’ll be agreeing to language his administration has repeatedly criticized for containing provisions that effectively legalize underage possession.
If Murphy conditionally vetoes the two bills, New Jersey’s cannabis legalization effort will be impossibly delayed, leaving a policy cornerstone of his 2017 campaign unfulfilled as he kicks off his reelection effort.