Call 217-782-2000 and tell your State Rep. to vote in favor of HB 4715

I'm am contacting you today to urge your support for House Bill 4715. As proposed,
this measure would allow police officers to cite, rather than arrest, minor
marijuana offenders. If a citation is issued, a court appearance is not
required if the person intends to plead guilty to the charge.

Otherwise law-abiding citizens who use marijuana responsibly are not part of
the crime problem, and we must stop arresting and criminally prosecuting
them. In 2006, the last year for which national data is available, law
enforcement arrested over 829,000 persons for marijuana violations ­ the
highest annual total ever recorded.  Of those arrested, approximately 90
percent were charged with minor marijuana possession only.

Arresting minor marijuana offenders and mandating them to appear in court
overburdens Illinois taxpayers and wastes law enforcement resources.
Passage of HB 4715 will save police and prosecutors' time, and comport state
law with the policies of numerous Illinois municipalities.

Once again, I urge you to support the passage of HB 4715.  It is a common
sense approach that will refocus law enforcement resources on fighting
violent and more serious crimes.  Please support House Bill 4715 and stop
wasting taxpayers' dollars arresting minor marijuana offenders.