Another attempt to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana statewide is again in front of Illinois lawmakers, but as before, they face strong opposition from law enforcement and anti-pot advocates.
The omnibus bill in the Senate also sets a standard for what's considered too high to drive and automatically purges municipal citation records for possession annually, unless local governments decide against it. Opponents of the legislation dislike both of those provisions, too, saying there should be zero tolerance and that expunging records will make it difficult to determine when someone needs drug treatment.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed last year's attempt to decriminalize pot, but gave lawmakers guidance on how to proceed if they tried again. Instead of making the possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana a civil offense, punishable with a fine between $55 and $125, Rauner wanted — and legislators have proposed — the threshold to be lower (10 grams or less) and the fines higher — between $100 and $200.
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