Gov. Meyer Speaks on SB 75 Veto
(DOVER, Del) – Governor Matt Meyer vetoed Senate Bill 75, which would have had the state supersede local governments in creating more restrictive zoning regulations for newly legalized recreational marijuana dispensaries.
“I’m not sure it makes sense for a state rep, or state senator or a governor, you know, a state rep, or state senator from Claymont to be deciding where weed stores should be in reference to schools in Seaford. Why not let the people of Seaford decide?” said Governor Meyer Friday morning.
Some lawmakers call it a disastrous move.
Delaware State Senator, Trey Paradee stated quote, “Matt’s decision will do irreparable harm to dozens of small business owners, who successfully won the lottery to open retail marijuana stores and grow facilities. Now, they have virtually nowhere to open their stores and facilities, and Sussex County will essentially become a “dry county”. Some of the lottery “winners” may go bankrupt or lose their life savings.”
Local officials though say local control is essential.
Charles Anderson, the City Manager for Seaford tells us, “If the local municipalities that know the communities the best don’t have the ultimate control, we could have these winding up in places that could have unintended consequences or the community they might not be is otherwise happy with it.”
“I’m a believer that the authority should be, if you’re going to have the establishment in a municipality, I think the municipality should have some say in where facilities can and cannot be located,” says Delmar Town Manager, Jeff Fleetwood.
Despite those concerns, local officials believe they’ll have the answer when it comes to zoning.
Anderson says, “I think it’s big. I think it’s a really big deal because we can control where they’re located in our instance, we’re locating them along Sussex Highway in our C-2 Highway zoning. We have some prohibitions on how close they can be to churches, to schools, things of that nature.”
Recreational marijuana was legalized in Delaware on August 1st.
