St. Louis Lawmakers Propose Using Marijuana Tax to Fund Cold-Weather Homeless Plan
A committee of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted on Wednesday evening to advance, with a 'do pass' recommendation, a bill to fund cold-weather protections for people experiencing homelessness with the city's marijuana tax revenue, reports on October 30 said.
The bill, introduced by 7th Ward Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, would use the city's 3% tax on marijuana sales to fund the 'Code Blue' program, which adds shelter capacity, transportation and outreach during extreme cold. In its first winter last year, the program was paid for with more than $3 million from the Rams settlement fund; this year's program is funded with $2 million from the city's general budget. Sonnier noted the marijuana tax generated about $1.5 million last year, and said the bill sets 'a floor, not a ceiling,' leaving the board free to appropriate more.
The proposal aims to give the seasonal emergency service a stable, dedicated funding source instead of year-to-year improvisation. The bill has only cleared committee so far; final adoption requires a vote of the full Board of Aldermen. (Note: St. Louis is an independent city and does not belong to any county.)
Source: GSM News, America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons：File:Gateway Arch, St. Louis.jpg（CC BY-SA 4.0），作者：<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Lewis_Hulbert" title="User:Lewis Hulb
