Supporters of a much-delayed Illinois Senate bill to legalize medical marijuana will have to wait at least another day, as the vote scheduled for Tuesday has again been postponed.
As the Illinois legislative session enters its final days, big-ticket topics such as the budget and ethics reform loom large, and time for taking up a controversial bill like SB 1381, The Compassionate Use of Cannabis Pilot Project Act, gets harder to find. Even if the bill passes the Senate, its chances of passing the House are slim -- and even slimmer for passing during this legislative session, the bill's sponsor, Sen. William R. Haine (D-Alton), told the Huffington Post.
Haine said he expects the tally to be close and needs to have all of his 'yes' votes present before he'll call a vote. A Haine aide said that several of the likely 'yes' votes were absent from the chamber Tuesday.
Haine looked for an opportunity all last week and at one point entered the Senate chamber determined to call a vote but never got the chance.
Though Senate President John Cullerton supports the legislation, he is focused on ethics reform and the state budget and not actively drumming up support for the bill, his spokeswoman told the Huffington Post.