Sunday Poll: Should Prior Marijuana Possession Convictions Be Expunged When A State Approves Recreational Use?

On Friday the Illinois House passed a

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/legal-pot/illinois-poised-be-11th-state-legalize-recreational-marijuana-use-n1012721

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/legal-pot/illinois-poised-be-11th-state-legalize-recreational-marijuana-use-n1012721

recreational marijuana bill, it was approved by the Senate earlier in the week. When signed by Gov Preitzker Illinois will become the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana — the first to do so through the legislative process instead of at the ballot.

One provision is the basis for today’s poll:

The governor will pardon past convictions for possession of up to 30 grams, with the attorney general going to court to expunge or delete public records of a conviction or arrest. For possession of 30 to 500 grams, an individual or a state’s attorney may petition the court to vacate and expunge the conviction, but prosecutors may object, with a judge to make the decision. [Chicago Tribune]

To save you doing the conversion:

• 30 grams is 1.06 ounces
• 500 grams is 17.6 ounces.

Ok, here’s today’s poll:

This poll will close at 8pm tonight.  I’ll share my thoughts on Wednesday morning.

— Steve Patterson

St. Louis Board of Aldermen: New Board Bills Week 7 of 2019-2020 Session

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen will meet at 10am today, their  7th meeting of the 2019-2020 session. However, they have two weeks labeled #1 so they list this as week week 6.

Today’s agenda includes seven (7)  new bills:

• B.B.#48 – Oldenburg – An Ordinance recommended by the Planning Commission pertaining to the Zoning Code, Title 26; repealing Section Five of Ordinance 70942, codified as Section 26.52.020 and 26.52.025 of the Revised Code, pertaining to Use Regulations and Conditional Uses of the “I” Central Business District, and enacting in lieu thereof a new section on the same subject matter; repealing Section Six of Ordinance 70942, codified as Section 26.60.020 of the Revised Code, pertaining to Use Regulations of the “K” Unrestricted District, and enacting in lieu thereof a new section on the same subject matter; and containing a severability and an emergency clause.
• B.B.#49 – Moore – Pursuant to Ordinance 68937, an ordinance authorizing the honorary street name Johnny B. Furr Way, which shall begin at the intersection of Cote Brilliante and Annie Malone Drive and run east on Cote Brilliante to the intersection of Cote Brilliante and Whittier.
• B.B.#50 – J. Boyd – An ordinance recommended by the Parking Commission making appropriation for payment of the operating expenses, capital equipment and improvement expenses, including lease purchase agreements involving Parking Division assets, and debt service expenses of the Parking Division of the Treasurer’s Office, Kiel & City Hall Parking Facilities, Information Technologies Office, Argyle Parking Facility, Chouteau Building & Parking Facility, Williams Paper Parking Facility, Central Downtown Parking Facility, Buckingham Parking Facility, Cupples Parking Facility and Justice Parking Facility for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2020, amounting in the aggregate to the sum of Seventeen Million, Nine Hundred Seventy -Six Thousand, Four Hundred Eighty- One Dollars and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#51 – Howard – An ordinance authorizing and directing the Fire Commissioner, on behalf of the Mayor and the City, to enter into and execute a Grant Agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Assistance to Firefighters Grant, to fund the Cancer Prevention Initiative, upon approval of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, and to expend funds by entering into contracts or otherwise for grant purposes and containing an emergency clause.
• B.B.#52 – Coatar – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 1014-1018 Olive.
• B.B.#53 – Todd – An ordinance approving a Redevelopment Plan for 4629-4631 & 4715 Washington.
• B.B.#54 – Todd – An ordinance approving a blighting study and Redevelopment Plan for 5125 Enright.

The meeting begins at 10am, past meetings and a live broadcast can be watched online here. See list of all board bills for the 2019-2020 session — the new bills listed above may not be online right away.

— Steve Patterson

Readers Split on Bill to Ease Motorcycle Helmet Use & Vehicle Inspections

In the recent non-scientific Sunday Poll neither side got more than half the votes — a lot were like me — in the middle.

Q: Should Gov Parsons sign the bill relaxing motorcycle helmet requirements, vehicle inspections; raise registration & license fees?

• Definitely yes! 2 [6.45%]
• Yes: 2 [6.45%]
• Hmm, I suppose: 7 [22.58%]
• Neither yes or no: 4 [12.9%]
• Hmm, I don’t think so: 2 [6.45%]
• No: 3 [9.68%]
• Definitely not! 10 [32.26%]
• Unsure/No Answer: 1 [3.23%]

I don’t think motorcycle riders should be allowed to ride without a helmet. If signed, the law would allow those with health insurance to ride sans helmet. Will those without health insurance continue to wear a helmet, or will they ride without knowing it’s unlikely they’ll get stopped?  I’m also a fan of vehicle inspections, even though they’re a pain. These can find problems that should be fixed for the safety of everyone else.

I do like that the bill will permit left turns onto one-way streets — basically because everyone already does it.

— Steve Patterson

St. Louis’ Soldiers Memorial Military Museum

Our World War I memorial, the building known as Soldiers Memorial Military Museum,  opened nearly two decades after the war ended.

Soldiers Memorial officially opened on Memorial Day in 1938. The building was designed by St. Louis architecture firm Mauran, Russell & Crowell in a classical style with art deco flourishes. It features four monumental groups of sculptures by artisan Walker Hancock that represent courage, loyalty, sacrifice, and vision. Hancock, a native St. Louisan, served in the US Army in World War II but is perhaps best known for being one of the Monuments Men, the group tasked with protecting and recovering cultural and historical artifacts from wartime damage.

By the end of the 1940s the Court of Honor had been established across the street from Soldiers Memorial. It memorializes the St. Louisans who lost their lives during World War II. (Missouri History)

In 2016 it closed for a much needed renovation by the Missouri History Museum, the new caretakers of the property and collections.

After it closed for renovations I posted some of the pics I took on that last pre-renovation day.  It reopened last Fall, here are some before pics along with the after renovation pics.

Now for some more pics.

If you haven’t checked it out I suggest you do so.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Should Gov Parsons Sign Bill To Ease Motorcycle Helmet & Vehicle Inspection Requirements; Increase Vehicle Registration Fees?

A bill on the desk of Missouri Gov Parsons, if signed by July 14th, would change a number of things, including:

• Allow motorcyclists 18 and older, with health insurance, to ride without having to wear a helmet.
• Cars 5-10 years old, with less than 150,000 miles, would no longer need safety inspections every two years. Vehicles older than 10 years or with 150k miles would still need state inspection. No mention of emissions testing.
• Increase vehicle registration and drivers license fess.
• Allow a left turn on a red light. Currently Missouri law doesn’t permit these turns. I blogged about this in 2015, see Left Turn On Red Not Allowed In Missouri.

This bill on the governor’s desk is the subject of today’s poll.

Today’s poll will close at 8pm.

— Steve Patterson