Dude, it's votes, man. Votes. Colorado GOP tries to ban 'welfare for weed' against Democrats' wishes

Colorado GOP tries to ban 'welfare for weed' against Democrats' wishes - Washington Times:
DENVER—Everyone in Colorado from Republicans to marijuana moguls wants to stop welfare cash from being used to buy recreational pot, but standing in their way are the state’s formidable legislative Democrats.

Despite mounting evidence that “welfare for weed” is more than an urban myth, Democratic legislators are balking at a bill that would add marijuana dispensaries and strip clubs to the list of places, along with casinos and liquor stores, where debit-style benefits cards cannot be used to withdraw cash from automatic teller machines, or ATMs.

...The bill received preliminary approval Friday from the state Senate, where Republicans hold an 18-17 edge. 

The stumbling block lies with House Democrats, who hold a 34-31 majority and have shown no enthusiasm for the measure.

Why? 

Last year, Democrats said they were worried about limiting access for welfare recipients, many of whom don’t have bank accounts and may find it difficult to locate nearby ATMs in their neighborhoods. 

Democrats were also dubious about whether EBT cardholders were really blowing public dollars on pot.

...But investigations by other media outlets have shown that the problem is more than a myth. 

On Thursday, Fox31 Denver reported that at least 17 lbs. of marijuana were likely purchased with public dollars in 2014, based on an examination of all ATM transactions using the EBT card in state marijuana dispensaries...”