Experts in the News

Drug policy fellow Katharine Neill Harris testified before the Senate State Affairs Committee in support of HB 2593, which would reduce penalties for possession of some marijuana concentrate. “Under current law, possession of any amount of the [concentrate] is a felony, in the same category as drugs like heroin, meth and cocaine, and there is no rational basis for this classification,” she said. “HB 2593 would create a more reasonable penalty for the concentrates by treating them like other parts of the marijuana plant. It would also remove the stain of a felony conviction, the negative consequences of which affect all areas of a person's life and severely limit their education and job prospects.” Neill Harris is the Alfred C. Glassell, III, Fellow in Drug Policy

While a new study says voting restriction bills could cost Texas' tourism industry, state Republicans aren’t looking much at the economic impact because they believe it’s overestimated, said political science fellow Mark Jones.

On June 6, Mexico will hold the largest single-day election in the country's history. "If MORENA gets a two-thirds majority in the lower chamber, they will basically be able to drastically change the way electoral authorities work," said Javier Martin Reyes, an election law professor at CIDE.

As the Biden administration takes steps to address the fallout from the Colonial Pipeline shutdown, political science fellow Mark Jones said that "It’s important for the president to show empathy and recognize the position that the average American is in vis-à-vis gas prices."

Congratulations to the 10 Rice undergrads who will participate in the Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer in D.C. Policy Research Internship Program, led by fellow Steve Lewis!