Legislators who proposed $15,000 Murphy lockdown fines want to fix Marijuana laws

Greg McGuckin,John Catalano
Greg McGuckin,John Catalano

TOMS RIVER, NJ – The good news is there won’t be $15,000 fines placed against people smoking legal marijuana. The bad news is the team of New Jersey legislators who proposed a $15,000 fine against New Jersey residents for violating Governor Phil Murphy’s COVID-19 executive orders are all still in office.

Now, they are riding the legal marijuana bandwagon after the legislation legalized marijuana and stripped parents of the right to know if their children were stopped by police for smoking pot or drinking alcohol.

Oops.

Now, Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano who cosponsored  the $15,000 lockdown fines are supporting new legislation which allows law enforcement officers to notify the minor’s parent or guardian in writing when a juvenile is caught in possession of marijuana or alcohol.

“We have heard from hundreds of parents [not fact checked] who are extremely concerned that allowing this type of leniency with children can lead them down a dark path and encourage future substance abuse,” said Toms River lawyer Gregory P. McGuckin.  “Children can make mistakes, but there should always be some form of notice given to a parent or guardian when drugs and alcohol are involved. This bill will address the concerns we’ve heard from parents.”

All three are up for re-election in the June 2021 Republican Party Primary and are expected to face opposition.

Here’s what they have been up to: