JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced he would pardon thousands of Americans convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law.
No sooner had the announcement been made than some Arkansas lawmakers weighed in on the issue.
In a news release shared on social media, Governor Asa Hutchinson claimed the president was “playing election-year politics.”
“The president, in his announced policy on marijuana, has waived [sic] the flag of surrender in the fight to save lives from drug abuse and adopted all the talking points of the drug legalizers,” Hutchinson stated.
The governor went on to say the Department of Justice should not “issue blanket pardons” but consider each case individually.
“As governor, I have issued hundreds of pardons to those who have been convicted of drug offenses,” Hutchinson said. “But, in this time of rising crime, there should be a clear record of law-abiding conduct before pardons are issued.”
The governor concluded by saying the president was vote-seeking.
“While his proposal sounds good, this is a step that has not been taken by the Obama Administration or the Trump Administration,” Hutchinson said. “Biden is simply playing election-year politics and sacrificing our national interest to win votes.”
U.S. Senator Tom Cotton echoed the governor’s concerns in a tweet.
“In the midst of a crime wave and on the brink of a recession, Joe Biden is giving blanket pardons to drug offenders,” Cotton said. “This is a desperate attempt to distract from failed leadership.”
Senator John Boozman and Rep. Rick Crawford have yet to comment on the president’s decision.
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