State Sen. John Proos popped in to Dowagiac City Council Monday night to “dispel some of the rumors that everything that’s happening in Washington is happening here in Lansing.”

The St. Joseph Republican, who will be back in town today for a series of constituent meetings, also heard Mayor Pro Tem Leon Laylin’s concerns about medical marijuana, for which the city gave final approval to four ordinances.

“Our budget is complete for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1,” Proos said. “That’s an unusual situation for us lately, which you’re probably aware. Tough decisions don’t get any better with time, as we found out. We’ve had a $1.5 billion hole that has continued year after year because we pushed along a lot of the tough decisions. The reality is, this fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, 14 percent of all of our revenues came in one-time dollars from the federal government that would be gone next year, leaving us with that same hole. The goal behind decisions that are being made is that our constituents stabilize their families with better jobs, more job opportunities and less underemployment. The reality is we all rely as elected officials on the success of our own constituents in businesses and in industries and in jobs that they turn into economic drivers in our communities – whether it be at Twistees right out the door or in our local restaurants, shops and small businesses. Dowagiac knows better than anybody what the loss of large businesses means to economic stability of the council and the citizens of this community. Those large decisions left us with a lot of very difficult choices, but all of them with the goal of making us more competitive, so we’re at the top of all the good lists for places that are attractive to do business and we do business efficiently and a great place to get a decision made when a state department is involved. Too often we hear that it’s six months, a year – or longer – for Michigan to answer questions for economic development purposes. We don’t investors left holding the bag” and considering other locations, such as Elkhart or Goshen, Ind. “We’ve seen far too much of that of late.”

Proos noted Gov. Rick Snyder signed methamphetamine legislation he sponsored. “It changes the way Harding’s or Rite Aid handles pseudophedrine behind the counter. Instead of signing a log, you use your driver’s license, which already has your name and birthday on it, offering law enforcement better technology tools to stop it at the point of purchase of a precursor used in the chemical concoction.”

Proos faulted the state Department of Community Health (MDCH) for its implementation of  medical marijuana.

“They did a very poor job of providing guidance to local municipalities and law enforcement. It fails to protect those who legally have the right and it fails to give proper guidance to local municipalities so those who do not have the right are kept from doing so. That’s two losers in a proposal that was supposed to provide in very narrow circumstances for those folks who in a relationship with a physician determined it was the proper course of action.”

Laylin said, “My main concern is those qualified to grow it and to supply five clients. That person should be identified for enforcement. We know where pharmacies are and who the pharmacists are. We need some way to identify those providing to other people.”

Proos agreed. “The most important thing we could do is to identify the dispensary system, to which you’re referring, or we won’t be able to protect those who have the legal right.”