Date: Wed, 8 Nov 2006
Subject: #339 Election Results – What Does It Mean For Reform?
ELECTION RESULTS – WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR REFORM?
*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************
DrugSense FOCUS Alert #339 – Wednesday , 8 November 2006
Today reform organizations, large and small, provided their members
and supporters analysis, and discussion via their email lists and
forums, about the U.S. election results.
We are providing you, below, parts of the election analysis from three
major organizations, without comment, as part of our educational services.
*********************************************************************
ELECTION RESULTS – WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN FOR REFORM?
By Bill Piper for the Drug Policy Alliance Network
About
As you probably know by now, Democrats have taken control of the U.S.
House for the first time in 12 years, picking up at least 27 House
seats from Republicans. And Democrats picked up at least five Senate
seats and may win the other seat they need to take control of the
Senate (Virginia is still undecided). Ten local marijuana law reform
initiatives also won big yesterday. But voters rejected three
important statewide marijuana initiatives, and approved a measure in
Arizona that will undercut the state’s successful treatment-instead-of-incarceration
law. What does all this mean for drug policy reform?
Ballot Measures
Statewide measures to legalize small amounts of marijuana failed in
Colorado (40% to 60%) and Nevada (44% to 56%). South Dakota voters
narrowly defeated a medical marijuana initiative (48% to 52%). The
South Dakota defeat is especially disappointing because it marks the
first time that medical marijuana has lost at the ballot box. (Voters
have approved medical marijuana in eight other states). None of these
losses can be described as a total surprise. Polling all year long
showed that support for the initiatives was much lower than support
for successful reform measures in previous years. The voters just were
not ready for them.
In California, voters in Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Santa Monica
approved local measures making marijuana possession the lowest law
enforcement priority in their cities. Voters in Missoula, Montana and
Eureka Springs, Arkansas approved similar measures. In Massachusetts,
voters in two legislative districts approved non-binding resolutions
in support of making possession of up to one ounce of marijuana a
civil violation subject only to a $100 fine. And in two other
Massachusetts legislative districts, voters approved non-binding
resolutions in support of legalizing marijuana for medical use. Voters
in Albany, California approved an initiative allowing a medical
marijuana dispensary to open in the city.
Overall, it’s clear that the tide is turning in favor of reforming
marijuana laws–but we wish it were turning faster.
In Arizona, state legislators put a measure on the ballot that will
undercut Proposition 200, a treatment-instead-of-incarceration law
that voters approved in 1996. (Prop. 200 served as a model for
Proposition 36, which California voters approved four years later).
Arizona voters approved the measure, 58% to 42%. The new law allows
judges to exclude people arrested for methamphetamine possession from
the state’s successful treatment program. DPAN is deeply concerned
that other states will view this new law as a model. But we’re happy
to have beaten back a similar attack on treatment in the California
legislature earlier this year.
Congress
The Democratic takeover of the U.S. House (and possible takeover of
the Senate) provides DPAN with some exciting opportunities next year.
Democrats at the federal level are far more sympathetic to reform than
Republicans (this stands in contrast to state-level politics where
Republicans are some of the strongest champions of reform in key
states). For instance, 144 House Democrats voted earlier this year to
prohibit the U.S. Justice Department from undermining state medical
marijuana laws. Only 18 Republicans supported the measure. 169
Democrats voted last year to cut funding to the Andean Counterdrug
Initiative (more commonly known as “Plan Colombia”), but only 19
Republicans voted to do so. Since almost all of the Republicans who
were defeated yesterday were bad on both of these issues, we look
forward to significantly more support next year. (Only one of the
defeated Republicans supported medical marijuana, and only three voted
to cut funding to the Andean Counterdrug Initiative).
Our federal political action committee (DPAC) helped several good
state legislators get elected to Congress–most notably Steve Cohen
(D-TN), who backed medical marijuana and sentencing reform in the
Tennessee legislature, and Chris Murphy (D-CT), who supported DPAN’s
medical marijuana and crack/powder cocaine sentencing reform bills in
the Connecticut legislature.
Many members of Congress DPAN works with were re-elected, including
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Rep. Ron Paul
(R-TX), and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA). Senator Bob Menendez (D) was
re-elected in New Jersey and Rep. Ben Cardin (D) was elected to the
Senate for the first time in Maryland. Both voted for medical
marijuana in the House, making them the only two U.S. Senators to have
voted for medical marijuana in the past. This puts DPAN in a good
position to advance this issue in the Senate.
The most important change will come early next year when Republican
Committee chairs like Rep. James Sensenbrenner (WI) and Rep. Mark
Souder (IN) are replaced by solid drug policy reformers. Instead of
playing defense trying to stop bad bills like Sensenbrenner’s horrible
“snitch” bill, DPAN will be able to devote more resources to moving
good bills forward.
The Democrats who will be leaders in the new Congress are better on
drug policy reform than Democrats were in the 1990s under Clinton, and
much better than Democrats were in the 1980s under Reagan. For
instance, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who will most likely be Speaker of
the House next year, is a strong supporter of medical marijuana and
sentencing reform. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), who will chair the House
Judiciary Committee next year, is a member of the Drug Policy
Alliance’s advisory board. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), who will chair
the Government Reform Committee, is a strong supporter of syringe
exchange programs and other harm reduction measures. Rep. Charlie
Rangel (D-NY), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
(D-TX) are strong supporters of drug sentencing reform. All three will
likely control key Congressional committees next year.
We’re excited. It’s very possible that DPAN can pass the
Hinchey-Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment and other reforms next
year. At a time when the Bush Administration is increasing federal
prosecution of medical marijuana patients and their providers, we have
the capability of pushing back–hard.
State Races
Here are some brief updates on some of the states DPAN is very active
in:
In California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) was re-elected.
Generally speaking, he has been better on drug policy issues than his
predecessor, Gray Davis (D), but he has still vetoed several of the
reforms DPAN passed through the legislature. Schwarzenegger worked to
defeat a “three strikes” reform initiative DPAN backed in 2004, and
has severely underfunded Prop 36, our successful treatment-instead-of-incarceration
law that California voters approved in 2000. But he has signed a
number of reform bills that his predecessor vetoed, most notably
DPAN’s syringe access bill that will do more to reduce the spread of
HIV/AIDS in California than any other piece of legislation.
In Connecticut, Gov. Jodi Rell (R) was re-elected. She vetoed the
first crack/powder sentencing reform bill that DPAN passed in the
state, but signed the second one into law. Cliff Thorton, a drug
policy reformer who heads the Connecticut-based reform group Efficacy,
took 1% of the vote in his Green Party bid to unseat her. While votes
are still being counted, it looks like Democrats will pick up enough
seats in the Connecticut legislature to override the governor’s
vetoes. This puts us in a good position for next year, where DPAN will
advance bills to legalize medical marijuana and reform draconian drug
sentences. We are excited that a state legislator who supported our
bills in the legislature, Chris Murphy (D), beat Congressman Nancy
Johnson (R) and will be going to Congress.
In Maryland, Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) lost. He supported medical
marijuana, treatment-instead-of-incarceration and sentencing reform.
We’re hoping the new governor, Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley (D),
will be even better. We’re especially hoping that O’Malley will
appoint Peter Beilenson as the state’s Health Commissioner. (Peter
Beilenson is the former Baltimore Health Commissioner. He’s a strong
supporter of drug policy reform, and an ally of DPAN. We backed his
effort to win a Congressional seat, but he narrowly lost in the
primary). Rep. Ben Cardin (D), who supported medical marijuana in the
U.S. House, won his race to become a U.S. Senator. Kevin Zeese, who
co-founded the Drug Policy Foundation (which merged in 2000 with the
Lindesmith Center to become the Drug Policy Alliance) took 2% of the
vote in his Green-Libertarian-third-party fusion bid to beat Cardin
and his Republican opponent.
In New Mexico, Governor Bill Richardson (D) was re-elected. The
director of DPA’s New Mexico office, Reena Szczepanski, co-chairs his
methamphetamine taskforce. He also supported DPAN’s medical marijuana
bill last year and has promised to support it again in 2007. His
Republican opponent, John Dendahl, has also supported medical
marijuana and other reform issues. Our federal political action
committee (DPAC) contributed money to Attorney General Patricia Madrid
(D) for her campaign to defeat Congresswoman Heather Wilson (R), who
has voted against medical marijuana three times in the U.S. House.
Votes are still being counted in this very close race.
The New Mexico House of Representatives was up for re-election this
year, and results are positive for drug policy reformers. Two medical
marijuana opponents were defeated–House Minority Whip Rep. Terry
Marquardt, R-53, Alamogordo, and Rep. Don Whitaker, D-61, Eunice.
House Majority Leader Ted Hobbs’ retirement coupled with Marquardt’s
loss also means entirely new leadership for the House Republicans in
2007. DPA NM’s projected House votes look promising for both
treatment-instead-of-incarceration initatives and legal access to
medical marijuana. The New Mexico Senate’s membership, which voted
34-6 last year in favor of medical marijuana, remains the same for
2007-2008.
In New Jersey, nothing changed with state-level races because those
are up in odd years in the state. But our federal political action
committee (DPAC) backed Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D) in her effort
to unseat Congressman Michael Ferguson (R). She came very close (48% –
50%) in an excellent campaign to unseat someone who was considered
unbeatable. She will continue to be a good ally in the legislature,
where she supports DPAN’s legislation to make sterile syringes more
available. DPAC also supported Senator Menendez (D), who supports
medical marijuana and other drug policy reforms.
In New York, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer (D) will replace George
Pataki (R) as governor. It is too early to tell where Spitzer will be
on all the issues, but we know he will be a stronger supporter of
reforming New York’s draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws than Pataki.
We’re a little concerned that District Attorney Michael Arcuri (D) won
his Congressional race. Arcuri has cruelly prosecuted people under the
Rockefeller Drug Laws and opposed reform efforts. We hope his victory
in a state that overwhelmingly supports reform will change his mind.
In Washington, Roger Goodman was elected to the Washington Senate.
Goodman runs the King Country Bar Association’s Drug Policy Project.
He has moved drug policy reform forward in the state and will be a
major ally in the legislature. Our state political action committee
contributed to his campaign.
Conclusion
Over the coming weeks you will get e-mails from us laying out our 2006
legislative strategy, which includes prohibiting the Justice
Department from undermining state medical marijuana laws, eliminating
the crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity, and cutting wasteful
drug war spending. We really appreciate your on-going support. We
couldn’t do any of our work without you!
*********************************************************************
3 Out of 3 State Marijuana Initiatives Fail; 10 Out of 10 Local
Initiatives Pass
By Rob Kampia, Executive Director, Marijuana Policy Project
http://www.mpp.org
The Marijuana Policy Project’s initiative to tax and regulate
marijuana in Nevada was defeated last night by a 44% to 56% margin.
While this is a huge disappointment to all of us, more than four in 10
Nevada voters actually voted to end marijuana prohibition entirely.
This is huge progress since the 39% to 61% defeat of a similar ballot
measure in Nevada four years ago.
This year’s attempt in Nevada was only the sixth time that anyone has
attempted to pass a statewide ballot initiative to end marijuana
prohibition in a state; the other attempts were in California in the
early 1970s, Oregon in 1986, Alaska in 2000 and 2004, and Nevada in
2002.
Although we didn’t win yesterday, the results demonstrate the voters’
increasing willingness to reconsider our nation’s marijuana laws. And
we achieved this strong finish despite intense campaigning by the
White House drug czar’s office and the entire law enforcement
establishment in Nevada.
The fact that we came close to victory while up against such powerful
opposition is remarkable. And we’re not giving up: We’ll be back in
Nevada to try again with another marijuana initiative in November 2008
or, more likely, in November 2010. The drug czar will keep trying to
frighten people with lies, and we’ll keep telling the truth, and
eventually the truth will win.
In other election news, voters in 10 out of 10 communities in
Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, and Montana passed a series of
local marijuana ballot initiatives by wide majorities.
Unfortunately, voters in South Dakota narrowly defeated an initiative
to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail by a 48% to
52% margin.
In addition, Colorado voters defeated by a 40% to 60% margin a
statewide initiative that sought to remove all penalties for the
possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults aged 21 and older.
Notably, last night’s change in leadership in the U.S. House of
Representatives means that House leaders who have consistently opposed
medical marijuana legislation will lose their committee chairmanships
in January, and a strong supporter of protecting medical marijuana
patients – Nancy Pelosi – will soon be House Speaker and choose the
new slate of Democratic committee chairs. This will provide the most
favorable conditions in Congress to pass federal medical marijuana
legislation since I co-founded MPP in January 1995 (which was
immediately after the “Republican Revolution” of November 1994).
The momentum is with us, but major social change never comes easily.
We know we won’t win every battle, but we win most of our battles.
*******************************************************************
2006 Mid-Term Election Results Offer Mixed Bag for Marijuana Law
Reform
By The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
http://www.norml.org
The 2006 mid-term elections offered mixed results for marijuana law
reformers, with voters rejecting three statewide liberalization
efforts, but approving numerous local measures to ‘deprioritize’ pot
law enforcement.
Voters in Colorado, Nevada, and South Dakota turned back efforts to
amend state penalties on the use and possession of cannabis.
Colorado’s Amendment 44, which gained 40 percent of the vote, sought
to eliminate civil penalties on the possession and use of up to one
ounce of marijuana by adults. Question 7 in Nevada, which won 44
percent of the vote, sought to remove all civil penalties for the
private possession and use of small quantities of cannabis, and
directed state officials to create a statewide system for the
taxation, legal cultivation, distribution, and sale of marijuana to
adults by licensed vendors. South Dakota’s Initiated Measure 4, which
gained 48 percent of the vote, sought to allow the
physician-authorized use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Regarding the three failed statewide initiative efforts, NORML
Executive Director Allen St. Pierre stated: “These outcomes, while
disappointing, were not unexpected. Despite these results, adults in
both Colorado and Nevada continue to live under state laws that
authorize the medical use of marijuana and allow adults to possess and
use small amounts of pot without the threat of incarceration or a
criminal record. South Dakota’s result, while disheartening, does
nothing to change the fact that according to national polls, nearly
eight out of ten Americans support the physician-approved use of
medicinal cannabis.”
Local cannabis reform initiatives won overwhelmingly in yesterday’s
election. In Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 64 percent of voters approved a
citywide ordinance directing local law enforcement to issue a summons
in lieu of a criminal arrest for adults found to be in possession of
up to one ounce of cannabis and/or marijuana paraphernalia. The
measure, sponsored by the Fayetteville/University of Arkansas chapter
of NORML, is the first pot ‘depenalization’ measure ever approved in
the state.
In California, local voters approved a trio of pot ‘deprioritization’
measures. In Santa Barbara, 65 percent of voters backed Measure P,
which directs municipal police to make all law enforcement activities
related to the investigation, citation, and/or arrest of adult
cannabis users their lowest priority, and also appoints a community
oversight committee to monitor police activity as it pertains to
marijuana law enforcement. Santa Cruz and Santa Monica voters approved
similar measures (Measure K and Measure Y) each by votes of 63 percent.
A separate pot deprioritization measure (Initiative 2) also passed in
Missoula, Montana, with 53 percent of the vote.
Finally, in Massachusetts, voters in eight State House districts and
nine Senate Districts approved public policy questions concerning the
decriminalization of cannabis for personal use and the legalization of
marijuana for medical purposes. Since 2002, more than 420,000
Massachusetts voters in 110 communities have approved similar
non-binding resolutions.
NORML’s St. Pierre said that the strong showing in local races
demonstrates Americans’ overwhelming support for more responsible pot
policies. “What these results tell us is that citizens strongly
support reforming America’s marijuana laws, but that they prefer to do
so incrementally,” he said. “These successes on the municipal level,
once again, affirm that a majority of US citizens don’t want adults
who use marijuana responsibly to face arrest or jail, and they do not
want their tax dollars spent on policies that prioritize targeting and
prosecuting marijuana offenders.”
St. Pierre added that this year’s election results also have potential
federal ramifications, noting that California Democrat Nancy Pelosi,
who now stands to be House Speaker, is a longtime supporter and former
co-sponsor of medical marijuana legislation. “It is our hope that with
new Democratic leadership in the US House of Representatives we will
finally be able to move forward with legislation and hearings on both
the physician-approved medical use of marijuana as well as the
decriminalization of cannabis for responsible adults,” he said.
********************************************************************
Additional information about local initiatives and efforts, past and
present, may be found at the Community Audits and Initiatives Project
webpages http://www.drugsense.org/caip If you are aware of other
local efforts which may be appropriate for the webpages please notify
DrugSense using this webform http://drugsense.org/feedback.htm
*********************************************************************
Of course the results of the election provide an opportunity for you
to write letters to the editor.
Just click either of these links to find a wealth of targets for your
letter writing efforts.
http://www.mapinc.org
http://www.drugnews.org
**********************************************************************
Prepared by: DrugSense http://www.DrugSense.org
=.
