Action on pot bill postponed again

Lawmakers have again pushed their vote on the marijuana bill back until at least next week after breaking yesterday with no compromise on the closely watched legislation.

The delay puts off any movement until at least Thursday, when the House next has a formal session, even as the final details remained hazy yesterday, during which a small group of lawmakers huddled behind closed doors for hours with no resolution.

Officials in both the House and Senate said they believe they’re “making progress,” though they won’t meet again until Wednesday. That time line ensures any final product won’t hit Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk until well after their self-imposed June 30 deadline yesterday.

That delay, Baker contends, isn’t a problem, as long as a bill gets done “shortly.”

“Next week,” Baker quickly added, saying if lawmakers can do that, “the time frame to implement the marijuana law (is) still eminently doable.”

At issue is the vast gap between the proposed tax rate on marijuana sales. The House passed a bill setting it at 28 percent, while the Senate voted to keep it at the 12 percent that voters approved in last year’s ballot question legalizing marijuana.

It was unclear yesterday if that remained the primary sticking point, as lawmakers also have disagreed about whether local voters or local elected officials should decide whether a pot facility should be banned from a town or city. But a final number remains elusive, even for Baker.

“I honestly don’t know,” he said of what the tax rate should be.

“Let’s put it this way,” he added, “I think that’s a solvable problem as long as everybody is working on something that would cover the cost of the program and people can make adjustments later on. Whether it’s 12 to 28, it’s still below the tax rate in Washington or Colorado.

“Cover the cost,” Baker reiterated. “You start with a number and after 18 months or so, you can adjust it up or down.”