Organizations

FEDERAL: Operators Charged after DEA Dispensary Raids FEDERAL: Hypocrisy on Federalist Principles Glaring KANSAS: State Measure to Protect Patients Urged NEW MEXICO: Scare Tactics from State Law Enforcement Chief CALIFORNIA: Officials Sorting Out Implementation DISPENSARIES: Patient Demand Clear, Official Responses Mixed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL: Operators Charged after DEA Dispensary Raids Interference in California’s regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries has entailed threatening letters to landlords and the seizure of medicine and patient records. Now federal charges are being brought against some of the operators. This despite state law, local efforts at regulation, and the crucial services dispensaries offer the community’s most seriously ill and injured. The escalation has the earmarks of a failed policy in its final, desperate throes. Medical marijuana dispenser pleads not guilty to charges of selling drug illegally by Stephen Curran, San Luis Obispo Tribune (CA) The former owner of a Morro Bay medical marijuana dispensary pleaded not guilty today on charges he used his controversial co-op as a front for illegally selling the drug. Not guilty plea in medical marijuana case by City News Service, Los Angeles Daily News A Valencia man who ran a West Hollywood medical marijuana storefront pleaded not guilty Monday to federal drug charges. COMMENT Drug raids add up to federal intimidation EDITORIAL, Freedom Newspapers The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has started playing hardball with medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles, but it’s unclear how far it will move beyond symbolic intimidation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL: Hypocrisy on Federalist Principles Glaring This columnist is not the first to point out that if the present Administration were serious about its avowed principles it would not be interfering with state-level attempts to regulate medical use of marijuana. Likewise with the action of the US Supreme Court, which has taken federalist positions on guns near schools and child pornography. But in the case of both the Court and the Administration, politics and prejudice have overwhelmed principle. Feds Bust Former Portland Police Detective for Medical Marijuana by Tim King, Columnist, Salem-News (OR) The Portland Tribune's article Monday on the federal government's persistent hassling of a medical marijuana patient in Oregon, underscores the Bush administration's failure to value state's rights, and shows how they in fact do everything possible in some cases to eliminate them. ____________________________________________ KANSAS: State Measure to Protect Patients Urged The vast majority of Americans agree that no one should be prosecuted or imprisoned for following their doctor’s advice about medical treatment, or for helping a loved one ease their suffering. Each legislative session sees more state lawmakers considering measures to remove criminal penalties for medical use of marijuana, and Kansas may soon join the thirteen states with such exemptions. Group Advocates for Medical Marijuana Patients in Kansas WIBW CBS 13 (KS) A new, grassroots organization has been created in Kansas to advocate for legal protection of patients who use medical marijuana and for physicians who recommend the drug as part of a treatment program. Coalition seeks marijuana legalization by Scott Rothschild, Lawrence Journal-World (KS) A Lawrence woman who helped change the way marijuana cases are handled in Lawrence is leading a group that will seek a state law to legalize the use of marijuana for medical reasons.

News & Opinion 1. What Really Happened To Diane Linkletter? 2. San Francisco Says Meth Use Is At 'High Plateau' (Despite Data Suggesting That Methamphetamine Use Is Falling) 3. Cologne And Antiseptic: Russia's Killer Drinks 4. Speeding HIV's Deadly Spread (Multiple, Concurrent Partners Drive Disease in Southern Africa) 5. [US] Air Force Charges Victim in Her Own Rape 6. The Political Junkets of Bush's Drug Czar A. To Our Contributors B. Upcoming Conferences C. Listings Of Blogs & Sites We've Been Visiting Lately D. Quotes E. Know Someone Who Might Enjoy Receiving This Newsletter? How To Help ~ About HRP ~Subscription Information -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. What Really Happened To Diane Linkletter? Written by Doug DeLong Published July 27, 2007 The beautiful young woman who jumped out of her sixth-floor apartment window at 9 am on October 4, 1969 had no way of knowing that her death was destined to become a focal point of the anti-drug movement in America. Diane Linkletter was the 20-year-old daughter of Art Linkletter, the prominent radio and TV personality. Before an autopsy had even been performed, her famous father claimed to the media that she had taken LSD the night before her death. (Linkletter had not talked to his daughter before her death, but maintains that she had told her brother Robert that she had taken the acid.) He was quoted as saying, "It isn't suicide because she wasn't herself. She was murdered. She was murdered by the people who manufacture and sell LSD." When the autopsy showed no signs of drugs in her system, he changed his story to claim that she was suffering an LSD flashback from months earlier and that had caused her to jump out the window. The media, of course, ran with the story, and used Art Linkletter's claims to create the narrative, without doing much investigating of their own. By the time the dust had settled, the story had been transformed in most people's minds to reflect an old urban legend about a girl, high on LSD, who jumped out her window because she thought she could fly. A much more accurate picture of what happened can be gleaned by examining the testimony of Diane's boyfriend, Edward Durston, who was present when she died. Diane had summoned him to her apartment at 3 am and had spent the final six hours of her life with him. He told investigators that she was a desperately unhappy and despondent young woman who was determined to end her life. He had no reason to believe, and she had not indicated, that drugs were a factor in her death. Art Linkletter, understandably devastated, became one of the most vocal critics of the counterculture, speaking out against drugs at every opportunity, while telling the tale of his daughter's LSD death. Dr. Timothy Leary, the LSD guru who had urged young people to "turn on, tune in, drop out," became his archenemy. In this fascinating video from 1980, Leary is surprised on an interview show with a call from Linkletter. Listening to him scream at Leary that he "wishes he had died, or been hung" was a little disconcerting coming from someone whose public persona was that of the kindly father. [Please click link the following link to view video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT31oB2vspw Did Art Linkletter truly believe that his daughter's death was caused by LSD or was it easier for him to view it through that prism? Did it make his burden easier to bear, believing that an outside force of some kind was responsible, and not any negligence on his part? One thing is for certain. The story lodged itself in the public's consciousness and helped to fuel the anti-drug sentiments that led Richard Nixon to declare a War on Drugs in 1971, a seemingly unending battle that has strained our prison system and drained the nation of valuable resources.

Dispensary Progress in LA Despite DEA Raids City Council Starts Regulatory Process; Calls on DEA to Cease and Desist For two years, ASA organizers have been working with city officials in Los Angeles to ensure safe access to medical marijuana, educating them on the needs of patients and the benefits of a sound regulatory approach. The efforts of ASA and other patient advocates has resulted in significant progress in LA, so much so that the DEA has made it a target. On the same day that the Los Angeles City Council was preparing to take an important step toward regulating the operation of medical cannabis dispensing cooperatives, federal agents staged another set of coordinated paramilitary raids designed to intimidate local officials and patients. The raids on ten dispensaries came within weeks of the DEA sending over a hundred threatening letters to landlords of LA dispensaries, telling them the dispensaries are operating illegally under federal law and that the landlords could lose their buildings to federal asset forfeiture. These attacks on patient access were similar to the dozen simultaneous raids conducted in January. Like then, ASA activists sprang into immediate action, organizing protestors at dispensaries while raids were still going on and alerting the local media, which turned out in force. Within two hours of the raids starting, over 200 patients and advocates had gathered at one Hollywood dispensary, blockading the entrances and preventing DEA agents from leaving until they released the employees being detained. That same day, the Los Angeles City Council - under the leadership of Councilmember Dennis Zine, a former LA police officer with whom ASA has worked closely - voted overwhelmingly to establish the groundwork for a regulatory process for medical cannabis dispensaries that ASA has been advocating for two years. The council then all signed a letter to the DEA and then unanimously approved a motion endorsing the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which would prevent future DEA attacks on state medical marijuana programs. Councilmember Zine also joined ASA before the hearing in a press conference calling on the DEA to abandon its attacks on medical cannabis dispensaries and allow LA to move forward without further federal interference. ASA's communication efforts helped ensure that LA media covered the raids and City Council actions from the patients' perspective - not the DEA's. And the story was picked up by the major networks and carried by hundreds of television and radio stations as well as newspapers across the country.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2007 CONTACT: Laura A. Green, Coalition Director, Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition, T: 785-865-9001 (office) or 785-550-4757 (mobile), E: [email protected], Web: www.ksccc.org New Organization Advocates Compassion for Medical Marijuana Patients in Kansas Poll shows 62% of Kansans would not oppose a law protecting patients from arrest A new, grassroots organization has been created in Kansas to advocate for legal protection of patients who use medical marijuana and for physicians who recommend the drug as part of a treatment program. The group, known as the Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition, is committed to supporting those who use marijuana as a last resort when more traditional medications prove ineffective in addressing the effects of chronic pain, cancer, chemotherapy, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, glaucoma and other serious conditions. “Our objectives are simple: To allow physicians – not politicians – to make decisions about what is best for patients and to protect citizens from the risk of arrest simply because they’re trying to gain relief from a major medical problem,” said Coalition Director Laura Green. A nationwide Gallup Poll conducted in 1999 found that 73 percent of American adults favor “making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe in order to reduce pain and suffering.” Twelve states that make up about 22 percent of the U.S. population already have enacted laws that allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes. An estimated 115,000 Americans have obtained physician recommendations to use marijuana for medical purposes in states with existing medical marijuana laws, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, a growing number of mainstream medical organizations have voiced support for the use of medical marijuana under a physician’s supervision, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Public Health Association and the American Nurses Association. The New England Journal of Medicine also has editorialized in favor of patient access to marijuana. “No one should face the ordeal of arrest and possibly prison because they want to feel better,” Green said. “That’s why the Compassionate Care Coalition is working closely with state legislators, law enforcement officials, healthcare leaders and others to pass laws that will help our fellow Kansans in their time of need.” In Kansas, the possession of any amount of marijuana for whatever purpose currently is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. Cultivation of five or more marijuana plants, even for medical purposes, is a felony punishable by 11 to 17 years in prison. Green said that common misconceptions about medical marijuana have been shown to be inaccurate. A 2002 study by the Government Accounting Office, for example, found no evidence that abuse of medical marijuana laws was routinely occurring in states that had passed medical marijuana legislation. “We look forward to working with the growing number of Kansans who believe that our fellow residents have a right to access medical marijuana if it is recommended by their physician,” Green said. The Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition currently has more than 400 members and chapters in NE Kansas and Wichita. The group includes concerned patients, doctors, nurses, caregivers and others. For more information see the coalition web site, www.ksccc.org. # # #

For Immediate Release: August 7, 2007 Contact: Tony Newman at 646-335-5385 Artist, Activist Tony Papa to Highlight Cruel Drug War with Art Installation at Criminal Justice Conference at John Jay College in NYC on August 9-10 Show Visually Depicts Major Tragedies of Drug War: “Two Years for One Joint”; “HIV Due to Dirty Syringes”; “Racial Disparity of Drug War” Papa Discovered Art in Prison and Painted His Way to Freedom after 12 Years Behind Bars Under Draconian Drug Laws Noted artist, activist and author Anthony Papa will highlight the casualties of the war on drugs in an art installation during a conference titled “On the Edge: Transgression and the Dangerous Other on August 9 and 10 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice located at 899 10th Ave. in New York City. The conference will involve presentations, art and photographic exhibits, music, spoken word performances and film screenings centered around the concept of a new criminology for the 21st century. “The Drug War” is an art installation by artist/activist Anthony Papa. The installation is a multi-media presentation that visually portrays some of the most compelling drug war issues in the news. The visual narratives in the installation are powerful reminders of the raging war on drugs that ravages many of our communities. “The use of art as a political weapon is not new,” says Papa who discovered his political awareness through his art and has used his art as a vehicle to fight the drug war. “Through history, the role of the artist as a social commentator has been invaluable.” “Like Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ and Goya’s ‘Third of May,’ which both powerfully portrayed the atrocities of war, my installation follows their lead in revealing the impact of America’s drug war. Papa spent 12 years in prison for a first time non-violent drug offense. While imprisoned, he discovered his artistic talent. In 1995, after a showing of his art at the Whitney Museum, his case attracted national attention. Two years later, New York Governor George Pataki granted Papa executive clemency. Papa currently works for the Drug Policy Alliance. The installation highlights issues that affect all Americans, whether they use drugs or not. It is steeped in a continuous motif of an upside down American flag, which signifies the universal concept of the state of distress in war. “Justice in Black and White” shows the racial imbalance of the effects of the New York’s Rockefeller Drug Laws. Ninety-four percent of those incarcerated under the laws are black and Latino. Ten crying babies dress in prison garb dangle in front of their incarcerated mothers and ask “where are our mothers?” “Two Years in Jail for One Joint” shows the madness of the drug war. Mitchell Lawrence, an 18-year-old was sentenced to two years in jail for one joint by an over zealous prosecutor in Massachusetts. A single golden joint sits in a silver jewelry box surrounded by dozens of candles “Give Them All Dirty Needles and Let Them Die” - taken from the cruel quote of TV’s “Judge Judy” - boldly illustrates how New Jersey is the only U.S. state that lacks a needle exchange program. Dozens of bloodied syringes penetrate a coffin draped with the New Jersey flag. In “Cops or Docs” a marijuana plant asks the question who should decide what medicine we should put in our bodies. “Got a Cold? Prove it and Sign the Log” portrays the hoops Americans must now jump through to buy cold medicine due to the federal government’s desire to monitor our everyday actions in the name of the curbing the methamphetamine “epidemic.” Papa hopes the installation raises awareness for those in mainstream society who rarely think about the drug war. “I use my art as a means of visually translating the deep emotional responses of the human condition,” Papa said. “My life choices forced me to discover my hidden artistic talent.” For more conference info: www.jjay.cuny.edu/ontheedge/

If you’ve ever wanted to hang out with author Tom Robbins, this is your chance. On behalf of the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP), I’m pleased to invite you to a VIP reception featuring the bestselling author in Boston on Friday, September 14. This is the only time we’re going to promote this event to MPP’s national e-mail list, so please purchase your tickets here (http://sensiblemarijuanapolicy.org/?msource=5164&tr=y&auid=2891378) today. Tom Robbins, who has penned such classics as Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, and the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (http://sensiblemarijuanapolicy.org/) will host the event at the home of Woody Kaplan and Wendy Kaminer in Boston’s Back Bay. The event will raise much-needed funds for the signature drive to place a binding marijuana “decriminalization” initiative on the November 2008 statewide ballot in Massachusetts. This will be the first such initiative to remove all criminal penalties for the possession of marijuana in any state. The initiative seeks to change Massachusetts state law so that the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana would be a civil fine instead of a criminal sanction. You can find more information about this event and purchase tickets here (http://sensiblemarijuanapolicy.org/?msource=5164&tr=y&auid=2891382). The signature drive to place the initiative on the ballot will cost approximately $350,000, which must be raised by mid-October, because the signature drive must take place from September 19 to November 21 of this year. Who: Woody Kaplan, Wendy Kaminer, and author Tom Robbins will be joined by me and CSMP's campaign manager Whitney Taylor What: VIP reception to support the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy Where: 2 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Mass. When: Friday, September 14, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $250 in advance or $350 at the door. Purchase tickets here (http://sensiblemarijuanapolicy.org/?msource=5164&tr=y&auid=2891407). Please join us to discuss how the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy intends to make history in November of next year. I look forward to seeing you in Boston on September 14 ... Sincerely, Rob Kampia Executive Director Marijuana Policy Project Washington, D.C.

ASA ACTION: Pursuing the Truth about Medical Marijuana FEDERAL: DEA Interfering with Medical Marijuana Dispensaries OREGON: Feds Escalating Investigation of Patients CALIFORNIA: Merced Patient Wants Seized Property Back CALIFORNIA: Implementation Around the State CALIFORNIA: Dispensary Debates Continue RESEARCH: Biased Reporting Skews Findings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASA ACTION: Pursuing the Truth about Medical Marijuana When ASA petitioned to correct misinformation about medical marijuana spread by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration, the agencies stalled for two years and then refused to respond. So ASA filed suit to force the issue. The judge hearing the case has indicated that ASA may be able to make the government respond, but may have no legal recourse to correct the false information. Yet the law says federal agencies must rely on sound science in the information they disseminate, so ASA will first try to get an answer. And if that answer does not acknowledge the consensus of doctors and scientists about the medical efficacy of marijuana, there will be an appeal. Suit Over Pot's 'Benefit' Stumbles by Matthew Hirsch, The Recorder (CA) An Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit can't put the federal government on trial for saying that marijuana has no medical use -- but it might get to challenge the government for blowing deadlines, a federal judge in California ruled last week. Americans for Safe Access sued in February after two federal agencies refused to alter government-published statements saying marijuana has "no currently accepted medical use in the United States." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL: DEA Interfering with Medical Marijuana Dispensaries In the week after the coordinated raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles, editorial pages and patient protests around the state have denounced the interference with state and local handling of public health matters. Collusion between the DEA and rogue elements of the LAPD is being investigated, and local officials are calling for changes in the law. Feds, LAPD freeze Berkeley pot club's assets by Paul T. Rosynsky, Oakland Tribune A city-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensary had its assets frozen this week, prompting some city council members to call for new city laws protecting such businesses. Berkeley medical pot club raided by Carolyn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle The Los Angeles Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency seized the assets of a Berkeley marijuana club Tuesday, following a raid of its sister club in Los Angeles. Backers of medical marijuana protest raids by John Asbury, Press-Enterprise (CA) Medical-marijuana advocates staged a protest in front of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration building in Riverside on Friday to oppose recent raids on Southern California distributors. DEA's Scarlet Letter by Celeste Fremon, LA Weekly The DEA and the City of Los Angeles are at war over medical marijuana. On one side of the fight is the Drug Enforcement Administration, which seems to be doing all within its power to shut down the 180 or so medical-marijuana collectives (as dispensaries are called) in Los Angeles County. COMMENT Only Congress can resolve pot battle EDITORIAL, Daily Breeze (CA) In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that medical marijuana users could be federally prosecuted, though the court did suggest that supporters of medical marijuana could lobby Congress to change the law. That's where municipal leaders who support regulating medical marijuana at the local level should place their energies. Federal intervention EDITORIAL, Los Angeles Daily News Feds, back off. That's what the Los Angeles City Council and medical marijuana advocates hope will happen by adopting a moratorium on new dispensaries and bringing current ones into compliance while stricter rules are written. Why Don't More Republicans Oppose the DEA's Medical Marijuana Raids? by Jacob Sullum, TownHall.com Last week, the Los Angeles City Council voted for a measure that asked the federal government to stop harassing medical marijuana users in California. Minutes later, the Drug Enforcement Administration raided 10 medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles County. Fed's medipot raid priorities are out of whack by Thomas Elias, Columnist, San Gabriel Valley Tribune (CA) There's something almost idiotic about the obviously confused and misguided way in which federal authorities are trying to enforce anti-marijuana laws in California today. DEAsy Pickings by Dan Bernstein, Columnist, Press-Enterprise (CA) I never realized the Drug Enforcement Agency gets the summer blahs, just like everybody else. But I happened to be talking with a friend who knows all about this stuff. DEA thwarts Montana's medical marijuana law by Robin C. Prosser, OpEd, Billings Gazette (MT) Five years ago, I starved myself to bring attention to the plight of the sick in Montana that need medical marijuana. Two years later, I worked hard on the campaign for our state medical marijuana initiative, which passed with more support than any other.

The Sentencing Project and coalition partners, the American Civil Liberties Union, Open Society Institute and Drug Policy Alliance, have launched It's Not Fair. It's Not Working, a national campaign to educate the public about the crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity. The goal is to encourage the American public to make their voices heard in order to reform the mandatory penalties for crack and powder cocaine offenses to make them more equitable and fair. An important element of the initiative will be to engage the public through events such as town hall meetings, national conferences, hearings and other opportunities. All activities will be designed to educate and raise awareness. The It's Not Fair. It's Not Working campaign will also feature three advertisements: It's Not Fair (http://sentencingproject.org/tmp/File/Crack/Garrison_Ad%20(2c).pdf) features Karen Garrison, mother of twin sons who received long sentences for non-violent crack cocaine offenses just months after they graduated from college. Something's Wrong with the Math (http://sentencingproject.org/tmp/File/Crack/c_Chalkboard_Ad.pdf) points out that an individual only needs to possess 5 grams of crack cocaine to receive the same 5 year mandatory sentence as someone who sells 500 grams of powder cocaine. There's a Crack in the System (http://sentencingproject.org/tmp/File/Crack/c_SystemAd.pdf) supports the American ideal of a fair and appropriate sentencing system while at the same time informing the public that possessing a small amount of crack cocaine can carry an excessive penalty. Today a new consciousness about the unfairness and ineffectiveness of harsh crack cocaine mandatory sentences has emerged among advocates, policymakers, judges and the United States Sentencing Commission. At a time of bipartisan interest in this issue, Congress may be on the verge of mending the crack injustice. Since May, three bills have been introduced in the Senate that would reduce sentences for low-level crack cocaine offenses: · Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) for the first time introduced a bill to equalize penalties for crack and powder cocaine offenses. · Senator Orrin Hatch's (R-UT) new proposal would reduce the sentencing disparity between crack and powder by raising the trigger weight for a five-year mandatory crack sentence from five grams to 25 grams. · Senator Jeff Sessions' (R-AL) bill would reduce the sentencing disparity also but expand mandatory sentencing for powder cocaine offenses. The Sentencing Project is actively working to advance crack cocaine sentencing reform in Congress this year. The support of national, state and local organizations is critical to our efforts. We urge organizations to endorse a sign-on letter to U.S. House and Senate Judiciary members calling for legislation eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for low-level crack cocaine offenses. You can submit your organization's endorsement of the crack cocaine sentencing reform letter at: http://www.sentencingproject.org/Contact.aspx. Please include your organization's name, the name and title of signer, and the signer's e-mail address and phone number. For more information about It's Not Fair. It's Not Working, and The Sentencing Project's work to end the sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine, go to www.sentencingproject.org/crackreform.

1. Statement On The Arrest Of Dr Kian Tajbakhsh 2. Iran Uses Activists For Propaganda 3. Media Marijuana Mania Part Duh 4. Why Africa Fears Western Medicine 5. The Taliban's Opium War 6. Hillary Clinton On Needle Exchange 7. Coverage of Susan Kingston's Crystal Meth Uncensored: What the DEA and Gay Media Won't Tell You A. To Our Contributors B. Upcoming Conferences C. A Listing Of Blogs & Sites We've Been Visiting Lately D. Quotes E. Ask An Associate If She Or He Would Like To Receive This Newsletter How To Help ~ About HRP ~ Subscription Information -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Statement On The Arrest Of Dr Kian Tajbakhsh Payvand's Iran News ~ 7/17/07 Imperial College London Statement Respected academic Dr Kian Tajbakhsh, an Imperial College alumnus, was arrested in Iran in May 2007 and has been held without charge ever since. Imperial joins the international community in calling on the Iranian government to allow Dr Tajbakhsh legal representation and to provide evidence of the accusations against him. Dr Kian Tajbakhsh Dr Tajbakhsh graduated with a BSc (Eng) in civil engineering from Imperial in 1983, and went on to complete an MSc in urban planning at University College London. He has built a reputation as a leading expert in local government reform, urban planning and social policy, consulting for Iranian government organizations and international non-governmental organizations such as the World Bank and the Netherlands Association of Municipalities. He holds dual citizenship of the United States and Iran, and has taught at universities in both countries. Information on the campaign to raise awareness of Dr Tajbakhsh's plight is at www.freekian.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Florida: Now that it's Official, Hurry up Already Writing in the Palm Beach Post, Mark Schlakman urged Gov. Charles Crist and his Cabinet to speed up the rights restoration process for the nearly one million citizens convicted of a felony. Reaching this goal would help to ensure that citizens can vote in time for the Presidential election, regain full citizenship, and be gainfully employed - particularly with regard to occupational license eligibility. Further, Schlakman argued that clemency issues should be considered apart from employment eligibility issues as they slow down the state's current process of identifying who is now eligible to vote. In the spring, Crist's Cabinet reinstated the right to vote to citizens convicted of non-violent felonies. Washington: After Supreme Court's Decision, Lawmakers Aim for Legislation "[The] ruling is just plain mean-spirited," the editorial board of the Columbian wrote in response to the Washington state Supreme Court's 6- 3 ruling last week that bans individuals from voting until court fees and restitution is paid. As a result, House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, in January, will rally for legislation that allows citizens charged with convictions the right to vote despite unpaid restitution or court fees, according to the Olympian. The two lawmakers are unsure of a victory considering the upcoming election season as Rep. Kessler said it will be a "difficult issue for my [Democratic] caucus." "The bottom line with my bill is that ... people not in prison, after meeting residency requirements and following registration procedures, would be eligible to vote," Kohl-Welles was quoted as saying in the Ballard News-Tribune. - - - - - - Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today. Contact Information: email: [email protected], web: http://www.sentencingproject.org