Tuesday's 10-3 vote would reduce the maximum fine from $500 to $50 for possessing 25 grams of marijuana or less in the City of Milwaukee.
Supporters of the reduction, including members of the African American Roundtable, say it will help address a racial injustice because blacks in Milwaukee are five times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite similar usage rates.
"Often times, a criminal possession for a simple possession creates a lifetime of collateral damage,” according to Mike Wilder, co-chair of the group. It claims the reduced fine will remove many nonviolent offenders from Wisconsin's criminal justice system.
The roundtable is a coalition of community organizations working to improve quality of life issues for Wisconsin’s African American population.