OR-Sen: Sen. Wyden (D) Keeps Up The Pressure On Senate & White House On Marijuana Legalization
Received this e-mail today from Finance Committee Chairman, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden’s (D. OR) re-election campaign:
I've been asked a lot lately about finally ending the federal government's failed war on cannabis.
Want my answer? Absolutely. It's time.
It's not just enough to end the federal prohibition on cannabis. We also need to restore the lives of each and every person who has been hurt by this failed war on drugs.
This is especially critical for Black Americans, for Latino Americans, and for every community of color that has suffered under these awful policies.
That's why I've been leading the fight in the Senate with my good friends Senator Cory Booker and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to make this a reality.
But it's going to take more than a few members of Congress. It's going to take an entire grassroots movement. And that's why I'm writing to you today.
Ron
In other Wyden-related news. He’s working on this:
Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced legislation Wednesday aimed at closing a loophole that has allowed government agencies to obtain American’s personal data without a warrant.
The Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act — which is co-sponsored by 19 other Senators including Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and was introduced in the House by Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) — would require a court order for any purchases from third-party data brokers.
Several reports recently have detailed how agencies like the military and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) purchase information including location data about American citizens from companies that harvest data from smartphone apps.
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), today introduced the Clean Energy for America Act, a bill that would create an emissions-based incentive program to spur unprecedented growth in clean power, clean transportation and energy efficiency.
“Senator Wyden’s plan provides economic certainty for clean energy producers and consumers, which is key as we transition to a healthier future,” said Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp. “By making the tax code smarter to reward investment in clean energy while removing incentives for fossil fuels, the measure will unleash the innovation needed to slash climate pollution in our power, transportation and buildings sectors.”
This tax framework is technology-neutral and would allow power producers to qualify for either a production tax credit or an investment tax credit for facilities with zero or net negative carbon emissions. It also allows homeowners to qualify for an investment tax credit to install onsite carbon-free generation.
Additionally, the measure provides a 30% investment tax credit for qualifying grid improvements like energy storage and transmission, which will enable the deployment of additional zero emission power and improve grid stability and resilience. Investments in zero emission renewable electricity or energy storage in qualifying low-income areas would receive even higher incentives.
