It’s been a familiar scene in recent weeks: a sea of raised hands supporting marijuana legalization at the various stops on Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s statewide listening tour.

Opponents of marijuana legalization say they suspect Fetterman is stacking the sessions with pot supporters.

Fetterman’s spokeswoman denied anything of the sort, but Rep. Cris Dush, R-Jefferson County, doesn’t believe it.

During a Pennsylvania Leadership Conference discussion of the issue on Friday, Dush said that constituents who work at medical marijuana dispensaries told him they received advanced notice of the meetings in their county so they could make plans to attend.

Dush isn’t the only one skeptical about why stop after stop, including ones in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties, the sessions draw more people in favor than opposed. Michael Geer, president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute, questions it too.

Geer said opponents are intimidated by the large number of supporters who turn out so that may be one reason why support seem so widespread. He also thinks that the short notice given about upcoming stops in larger counties also is keeping those against legalization away because the distance and time it takes to travel to them requires planning.

“It’s a reasonable presumption that word may be getting out to proponents earlier than the general public and I would call on the governor and lieutenant governor to put a full schedule out now because everyone should have an opportunity to participate especially when these things are funded, I presume by taxpayer dollars,” Geer said.

Fetterman spokeswoman Christina Kauffman said no one is given advance notice of meetings. As dates and locations are firmed up, information is sent out within hours of final confirmation to the media and put on the lieutenant governor’s Facebook page. She added the governor’s homepage prominently displays a banner linking visitors to tour stops along with a form for people to offer their comments.

“The lieutenant governor absolutely does not have a finger on the scale,” she said. “These tour stops are intended to gather input from any and all residents regardless of their position on the issue.”

In fact, she said the only people specifically invited to attend are elected officials from the county Fetterman is visiting.

Kauffman also noted that Fetterman states at the start of every meeting he expects everyone to be respectful of others’ opinions – and attendees at the 30 sessions held so far have been.

“He has repeatedly encouraged people from all backgrounds and of all opinions to show up and speak their minds, and that’s exactly what has been happening all over Pennsylvania. Everyone is welcome and everyone is treated the same,” she said.

As for the cost of this listening tour, she said Geer is right. Taxpayers are picking up the tab. The lieutenant governor’s office is still on budget of spending no more than $25,000 for the 67-county stops. Three-quarters of the venues where meetings have bene held waived their fees. Meals are not charged and staff is paid mileage for travel to events, she said.

Gov. Tom Wolf sent Fetterman on the 67-county listening tour to explore whether Pennsylvania should consider following New Jersey and New York’s lead in pursuing legalizing marijuana. Fetterman intends to present the recommendations that come out of the sessions to the governor to inform his decision-making.

Polls have shown strong support for marijuana legalization. Last month, a Franklin & Marshall College poll showed 59 percent of voters said pot should be legal.