McLean County Times

Illinois state Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) is committed to helping local law enforcement deal with the new challenges they face stemming from the legalization of marijuana across much of the state.

Brady recently cast his vote in favor of Senate Bill 1557, a measure that “cleans up” the legalization act and takes into consideration some of the recommendations made by those who will be responsible for overseeing the new law.

“I opposed the legalization of recreational marijuana, and I still do,” Brady said in a press release. “But we need to deal with the situation we now have, and help law enforcement and others navigate these uncharted waters.”

Brady said that much of the language put forth in SB 1557 comes directly from conversations with law enforcement, business owners and others that stand to be impacted. Among the changes included in the bill are allowing public employers of police officers, corrections officers and firefighters to prohibit or take disciplinary action for consumption or possession of recreational cannabis while on or off duty.

The bill ensures that employers may not be subject to a cause of action for actions taken because of the employer’s reasonable workplace drug policy and limits on-site consumption of cannabis to dispensaries and retail tobacco shops, if approved by the local jurisdiction. Even with the changes, Brady stressed he’s still not a fan of legalization.

 “This clean-up addresses some specific local concerns, and so is the right thing to do for now, but I still have grave concerns about the overall impact of increased recreational marijuana use on our families and our communities,” Brady said.

Now in his 18th year in Springfield, Brady’s 105th District includes parts of Bloomington-Normal and much of eastern McLean County.