MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Backers of marijuana decriminalization have failed in their effort to bring the measure to the full Vermont House for a vote.
The measure had been held up in the House Judiciary Committee, with House Speaker Shap Smith opposed to it.
On Tuesday, Rep. Oliver Olsen, a Jamaica Republican, called for a vote in the House to pull the bill out of committee and bring it to the floor for debate. That motion failed on a vote of 119 to 21.
The bill called for someone caught with an ounce or less of marijuana to be punishable by a civil fine of $150. The person would not have a criminal record.
Even some backers voted against Olsen's motion, saying that pulling the bill from committee would violate legislative process.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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