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Lothar121

Dopey Dealing: Marijuana fight Diverts Attention From More Urgent Alaska Issues
TMCnet | 05/01/06

(Anchorage Daily News (Alaska) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) May 01--What should have been a simple bill to help control Alaska's methamphetamine epidemic has provoked a battle that is distracting lawmakers from more important business.

On one side is the Alaska House, which passed a sensible meth-control bill. On the other side is the Alaska Senate, which hijacked the bill for its own purposes. Senate leaders used the bill to launch another attack on the privacy rights that allow Alaska adults to possess small amounts of marijuana in their own homes. The House refused to go along with the controversial and expensive effort to recriminalize possession of any amount of marijuana by adults. A majority of the House wanted a bill to fight crystal meth, not take on a constitutional battle over marijuana possession.

Unlike most other battles in the Capitol, this isn't a partisan fight. Both the House and Senate are firmly controlled by Republicans. Yet more than one in three House Republicans voted earlier this year to reject the Senate version of the bill.

It's a fight about one chamber trying to make the other swallow a controversial drug law.

Making matters worse is Gov. Frank Murkowski. Passing the marijuana anti-privacy bill is a big priority for him. So big, that he's threatened to add it to the special session that's supposed to deal with the North Slope natural gas pipeline contract.

That would be a big mistake. Adding marijuana to the special session won't mellow anyone out. It will unnecessarily agitate lawmakers and divert attention from the multibillion-dollar decisions they have to make about the gas line, the biggest development prospect in the state's history.

Legislators and the governor need to focus on what's most important. When you're scrambling to finish a roof on your house and a storm is looming, you don't climb down the ladder and start spraying the lawn with weed killer. Mixing in marijuana with the gas line is a surefire way to make the special session go up in smoke.

Gov. Murkowski and the Republican Senate want to crack down on Alaskans who roll their own. But in doing so, they're trying to roll the House. Whether House members are worried about Alaskans' personal privacy or their own legislative prerogatives, they have good reason to stand their ground.

BOTTOM LINE: Leave the fight over marijuana recriminalization for later. Focus on fighting meth and getting a gas line.

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dedbr

web site .We ought to send him about a million e-mails and see if he gets the message about laying off the herb legislation, or he could go back to his old job of being an asshole somewheres else, huh?

We have a strong voice here at the ol' MJ.com. Maybe we should start giving these politicians an official nudge from the group.


Let 'em know we're keeping an eye on them, huh? Nothing they fear worse than knowing someone is watching them do something wrong.


Somewhere in Ded Land.....

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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

Abraham Lincoln
Happy New Year.......

Buzzby

I just sent him a message that should put a buzz in his bonnet! I don't think we have a mechanism for providing an "official" nudge, but lots of messages from lots of members should get some notice. I think Frank Murkowski has seen his last term as Alaska's Governor.

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dedbr

at least he'll know that he's not alone and unchecked up there in the lonesome north, huh Buzzby?


Theres a lot of people that just read the articles and comments, and I know we can stir the pot a little with our voice.

Go get him, member's. Let's let him know how we feel, and maybe start a list of people who need to be voted out next election time.

It's time to get active! Did you vote in the primary today?


Somewhere in Ded Land..... Just a cool voting fool.....