Abortion-rights activists score wins at state level

In the 2024 U.S. election. abortion-rights ballot measures passed in seven of ten states, including five won by Trump/Vance.

Abortion protest, New York, May 2022. Photo by Legoktm. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Pro-Choice Abortion Initiatives Pass in Seven Out of Ten States | Reason | Elizabeth Nolan Brown:

November 6, 2024 - "Measures meant to protect abortion access were approved by voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York.... Until yesterday, the pro-choice position [has] prevailed in every state where abortion-related measures were on the ballot, including in red states such as Kansas, Kentucky, and Ohio. That ... pattern is broken somewhat by results in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota.... 

• In Florida, 57 percent of voters supported Amendment 4, an Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion ... but it falls short of the 60 percent approval threshold required for constitutional amendments in Florida.
• In Nebraska, 48.7 percent of voters approved the state's Right to Abortion measure, (Initiative 439), which would have amended the constitution to declare that 'all persons shall have a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability'.... [A] competing measure — Initiative 434 — passed 55.3 percent to 44.7 percent.... Initiative 434 ... allows for first trimester abortions but prohibits second and third trimester abortion unless 'necessitated by a medical emergency or when the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest'....
• [I]n South Dakota — where it's currently criminal to perform an abortion or prescribe abortion medication unless a pregnant woman's life is at risk ... [v]oters rejected Amendment G — a citizen-led initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution— by almost 20 percentage points (with 87 percent of votes counted)..... 
• In Arizona, voters approved Proposition 139, a measure that enshrines a 'fundamental right' to abortion until fetal viability in the state's constitution. Abortion is currently legal in Arizona only until 15 weeks pregnancy. Voters rejected this status quo, with about 62 percent voting for Proposition 139 with 60 percent of votes tallied.
• In Missouri, where abortion is currently illegal except in medical emergencies, voters approved Amendment 3, a constitutional amendment declaring that 'the Government shall not deny or infringe upon a person's fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which is the right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions'.... 
• In Maryland, where abortion is currently legal until fetal viability, voters overwhelmingly approved Question 1, also known as the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment. The tally was about 74 percent for and just 26 percent with three-quarters of votes counted. Initiated by state lawmakers, ... the amendment says 'the State may not, directly or indirectly, deny, burden, or abridge the right [to an abortion] unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.'
• In Montana, where abortion is currently legal until fetal viability, voters approved The Right to Abortion Initiative, also known as CI-128. The measure will amend the state constitution to say 'there is a right to make and carry out decisions about one's own pregnancy, including the right to abortion,' and 'this right shall not be denied or burdened unless justified by a compelling government interest achieved by the least restrictive means'....
• In Nevada, where abortion is now legal until 24 weeks pregnancy, voters approved Question 6.... The measure states that the right to an abortion 'shall not be denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest that is achieved by the least restrictive means.' With 84 percent of Nevada votes counted, it was up 63.3 percent to 36.7 percent. However, it must pass again in 2026 to be enacted.
• In Colorado, where abortion is currently legal throughout pregnancy, voters passed Amendment 79.... The measure repeals a 1984 amendment prohibiting the use of public funds for abortion and creates a new constitutional amendment stating that 'the right to abortion is hereby recognized. Government shall not deny, impede, or discriminate against the exercise of that right, including prohibiting health insurance coverage for abortion'....

"Trump won Florida, Missouri, and Montana and ... Arizona and Nevada ... yet a majority of voters in these states, too, opted to support legal abortion."

Read more: https://reason.com/2024/11/06/pro-choice-abortion-initiatives-pass-in-seven-out-of-ten-states/

January 6 "shaman" files to run as a Libertarian

Jacob Chansley, the self-described "QAnon Shaman" who briefly shot to fame as the face of the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, has filed to run for Congress as a Libertarian. 

Libertarian Party Embraces Remorseless QAnon Shaman’s Run for Office | The Daily Beast | Josh Fiallo:

November 13, 2023 - "The Libertarian Party warmly welcomed an infamous (and apparently remorseless) insurrectionist to its ranks on Monday, writing that the “QAnon Shaman”—who stormed the Capitol shirtless with a set of horns on his head—had the party’s support for his newly announced run for Congress.

"Jacob Chansley, 35, became the face of the Jan. 6 riot after scores of photos and videos showed him walking and bellowing inside the Capitol with red, white, and blue face paint on. Chansley was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison in Nov. 2021 but was released after 27 months and reportedly sent to a halfway house in March to finish his sentence. A request to reverse his guilty plea was shot down by a federal judge in June.... He still uses photos from the Capitol attack as his profile and cover photo on X, formerly Twitter, where his username is @AmericaShaman....

"Libertarian National Committee chair Angela McArdle insinuated in a statement to The Daily Beast that Chansley had joined the party because the GOP had unfairly “abandoned” rioters. 'It should be no surprise that the infamous "Q-Anon Shaman" is looking to run for Congress as a Libertarian instead of Republican,' she said. 'The GOP has clearly abandoned the people who rallied for Trump and bore the consequences.'

"Chansley filed paperwork Friday to run in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District—a district that includes wealthy Phoenix suburbs and is currently represented by Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), who announced last month she won’t seek re-election. Chansley is allowed to run for Congress as a felon, but it’s unclear if he will be able to vote for himself come Election Day.... 

"Chansley has given some insight into how he intends to run his campaign on social media. In response to someone asking where they could donate, he wrote that he wasn’t accepting donor money because 'BIG $$$ is a part of the problem in politics. 'I intend to run an ENTIRELY different kind of campaign,' he wrote.

"The Libertarian Party does not have any members in Congress. The first and only Libertarian to become a federal lawmaker was former Rep. Justin Amash (L-MI), who joined the party in 2020 and left the U.S. House in 2021 after choosing to not seek re-election. Despite having no presence in Congress, the party claims on its website to have more than 300 party members in public office nationwide—mostly at the municipal level.

"McArdle used the attention garnered by Chansley as an opportunity to pitch the Libertarian Party to other Capitol rioters — and other Republicans — who feel they were left behind by Trump and the GOP. 'The Libertarian Party is a home for any, and all, who have experienced aggression, and injustice, at the whim of the State, which is every living American,' she said.

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/libertarian-party-welcomes-remorseless-qanon-shaman-jacob-chansleys-run-for-office

Jacob Chansley plans to run for Congress | FOX 10 Phoenix | November 13, 2023: 

Libertarian Marc Victor polling at 15% in Arizona

In Arizona, Libertarian Party Senate Candidate Polls at 15 Percent | Reason - J.D. Tuccille:

October 14, 2022 - "Are Americans getting tired of the 'choice' between dictatorial Democrats and control-freakish Republicans? Many of us would like to think so, and evidence from the crucial Arizona U.S. Senate race suggests that at least some voters are looking for an option that doesn't represent a competing brand of authoritarianism. In that contest, Libertarian Party nominee Marc Victor is polling at 15 percent and may get a further boost from his appearance in a well-timed televised debate.

"'Live and let live. That's my position on every issue,' Marc Victor introduced himself during his opening statement at the October 6 debate, which was broadcast by PBS. 'Live your life however you choose, just let other people do the same thing'.... In a phone conversation this week, Victor expressed disappointment that he didn't get as much airtime as incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (the Democrat in the race) and Republican challenger Blake Masters. But his appearance was enough for The New York Times to note 'he held his ground Thursday night, insisting that the moderator allow him to answer all the same questions as Mr. Kelly and Mr. Masters.' 'There could be a receptive audience for that message,' Jennifer Medina and Jack Healy added for the Times. "Roughly a third of Arizona's voters are not registered as Republicans or Democrats, and many view themselves as moderates or describe themselves as leaning libertarian." 

"In appealing to those voters, Victor, who also represented the Libertarian Party in the 2012 Senate race ultimately won by Republican Jeff Flake, emphasized the inclusive 'live and let live' message with which he opened.... 'We have the best message,' Victor told me. 'There's absolutely no question in my mind that if you are interested in freedom, in peace, in raising standards of living, we have the right message. So, I sit and scratch my head and say I've been a libertarian 30 years, why are we still in the minority?...  So, my mission, as a libertarian, has been to reboot the libertarian message. And I've done that, I've reformatted it into what I call the live-and-let-live message.'

"Ironically, one prominent Libertarian Party figure was turned off anyway. During the debate, Victor complained that 'our big problem with voting is that everything is up for a vote' and pointed to age of consent laws along with legislative representation as examples of the few issues that should be subject to political decision making. In response, Dave Smith, widely considered a contender for the 2024 Libertarian Party presidential nomination as part of the now-dominant Mises Caucus, endorsed one of Marc Victor's opponents. 'JFC,' tweeted Smith. "This guy is a clown who has absolutely nothing to do with us. He went outside the party and got the signatures to be on the ballot. Stupid AZ laws. I support Masters'....

"'If you want to see what's wrong with the Libertarian Party, look at what's going on now,' Victor told me of Smith's attack, and the prominent Mises Caucus figure's support for the very unlibertarian Masters (at last month's National Conservatism Conference in Miami, Blake Masters sniped 'Libertarianism doesn't work'). 'This is the kind of chaos that we need to get away from, and it only makes me want to separate from the Libertarian Party'....

"But, while Marc Victor is concerned about the political party, he hasn't lost faith in libertarian ideas. 'I'm putting out a very hardcore, pro-libertarian position in a very agreeable, non-threatening kind of a way,' he told me of his efforts through the campaign, which he intends to continue with a separate Live and Let Live organization. 'I think the future of this movement, whether you want to call it classical liberalism, the enlightenment, libertarianism, voluntaryism, anarcho-capitalism, whatever, I think it will be live-and-let-live-ism and that's what I'm trying to promote.'

"Arizonans, at least, seem receptive to that message. 'If the elections were held today, incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly sits at 46% support among likely voters, Republican Blake Masters at 33%, and Libertarian Marc Victor at 15%,' reports the Arizona Public Opinion Pulse Poll conducted by OH Predictive. 'Victor's 9% jump from the previous poll in early September, highly driven by Republican support, could be due to Blake Masters' struggle with his candidate image among likely voters,' add pollsters.

"The latest poll was conducted ... October 4-6, mostly before the televised debate took place.... The appearance should raise his profile, but third-party candidates tend to show up better in polling than they do on Election Day. Still, ballots are already being mailed to voters, and 89 percent of voters chose to vote early during the 2020 general election. That means Marc Victor may be gaining prominence at just the right moment to maximize support in a race that could decide control of the currently evenly divided U.S. Senate."

Read more: https://reason.com/2022/10/14/in-arizona-libertarian-party-senate-candidate-polls-at-15-percent/ 

7 U.S. governors say no to vaccine passports

Governor Kristi Noem bans “vaccine passports” in South Dakota | KCRG - Austin Goss"

Apr. 21, 2021 - "In an executive order issued Tuesday evening, Governor Kristi Noem banned government entities in South Dakota from requiring 'vaccine passports'.... In the executive order, Noem bans any government entity, to include local governments, within the state from requiring vaccine passports. Noem says that requiring vaccine passports could ultimately lead to 'improper disclosure of private health information.'

"'I’m going to do everything I can to protect people from getting mandates like this out of governments,' Noem [earlier in April].... 'This kind of provision is a fundamental threat to our freedoms.'"

Read more: https://www.kcrg.com/2021/04/21/governor-kristi-noem-bans-vaccine-passports-in-south-dakota/

Ducey bans ‘vaccine passport’ use by Arizona governments | Arizona Mirror - Jerod MacDonald-Evoy:

April 19, 2021 - "Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday banned state and local governments from requiring a 'vaccine passport' to receive service or enter an area.Ducey’s executive order also applies to any business that has a government contract, and bars them from requiring any customer to provide information on their vaccination status to receive any government services they provide. The executive order does allow for hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities to ask about documentation of a visitor’s, patient’s, employee’s or resident’s vaccination status. Universities, child care centers, home schools and other schools are also exempt. The executive order does not apply to private businesses. 

"'The residents of our state should not be required by the government to share their private medical information,' said Governor Ducey in a press release about the executive order. 'While we strongly recommend all Arizonans get the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s not mandated in our state — and it never will be. Vaccination is up to each individual, not the government.'"

Read more: https://www.azmirror.com/2021/04/19/ducey-bans-vaccine-passport-use-by-arizona-governments/

Arizona Becomes Sixth State To Ban Coronavirus Vaccine Passports — See The Full List Here | Forbes - Carlie Porterfield:

Apr 19, 2021 - "Ducey['s] ... executive order ... mak[es] Arizona the sixth state to denounce the passes that allow holders to prove they’ve been vaccinated against coronavirus....

"Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus, signed an executive order April 14 that will ban both the state government and businesses from requiring proof of vaccination to protect 'individual liberty and personal privacy,' though he added he still encourages constituents to receive a vaccine. It’s a sentiment he shares with Idaho Gov. Gov. Brad Little (R) who issued an order April 9 banning state government entities from requiring proof of coronavirus vaccination to receive public services, in which he noted vaccines are the 'best shot at protecting jobs and saving lives.'

"On Tuesday, April 6, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a similar executive order to block Texas state departments and groups that use public funds from issuing vaccine passports or mandating proof of immunization to receive services. On Friday, April 2, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order with an even further reach — under the order, the state government will punish private businesses that opt to require proof of vaccination by barring them from state grants or contracts.

"In February, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill into law that bans the Utah state government from requiring or issuing vaccine passports, though private businesses remain free to mandate them for patrons if they wish. Other Republican governors have not issued executive orders regarding vaccine passports, but have indicated they do not support their use, like Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R), Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R).... 

"The White House has pledged it will not pursue a vaccine passport sponsored by the federal government.... The majority of vaccine passports in development are being spearheaded by private companies in hopes it will embolden customers to feel safe traveling and pursuing in-person entertainment again at places like sports arenas, restaurants and live music venues. So far, New York is the only state to launch its own vaccine passport."

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/04/19/arizona-becomes-sixth-state-to-ban-coronavirus-vaccine-passports---see-the-full-list-here/

Voters legalize cannabis in 5 U.S. states

Every Single Marijuana And Drug Policy Ballot Measure Passing On Election Day Bolsters Federal Reform Push | Marijuana Moment - Kyle Jaeger: 

November 4, 2020 - " Marijuana and drug policy reform swept across the board in Tuesday’s elections, giving advocates a major boost as they push to end federal prohibition. Five more states legalized cannabis in some form and Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapy and also more broadly decriminalize drug possession. Meanwhile, voters in Washington, D.C. also approved a measure to decriminalize psychedelics in the nation’s capital....

• "Arizona [v]oters passed an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. This comes four years after voters in the state rejected a similar measure, signaling that support for the policy change continues to grow as the reform movement spreads. Under the new legalization law, adults will be able to possess up to an ounce of marijuana at a time and cultivate up to six plants for personal use.
• "Mississippi [a]ctivists overcame numerous obstacles both to qualify their now-passed medical cannabis legalization measure for the ballot.... The proposal will allow patients with debilitating medical issues to legally obtain marijuana after getting a doctor’s recommendation ... and patients would be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana per 14-day period.
• "Montana ... approved a measure to legalize marijuana for adult use. They also passed a separate constitutional amendment stipulating that only those 21 and older can participate in the market. The main statutory reform measure will establish a legal system of cannabis production and sales.
• "New Jersey ... voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to legalize recreational marijuana. The legislature will still have to pass enabling legislation to set up regulations for the program, but a top lawmaker recently said that a bill to accomplish that could be introduced as early as Thursday....
• "Oregon ... became the first in the nation to pass separate initiatives to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapeutic purposes and decriminalize possession of all currently illicit drugs. Under the psilocybin measure, adults will be able to access the psychedelic in a medically supervised environment.... The decriminalization proposal will remove criminal penalties for low-level drug possession offenses. Instead, those caught possessing a controlled substance will be subject to a $100 fine or be required to complete a health assessment within 45 days.
• "South Dakota on Tuesday became the first state in the U.S. to go from strictly prohibitionist to legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana. The recreational measure, which is a constitutional amendment, will make it so people 21 and older will be able to possess and distribute up to one ounce of marijuana, and they will also be allowed to cultivate up to three cannabis plants. The medical cannabis initiative will make a statutory change to allow patients suffering from debilitating conditions to possess and purchase up to three ounces of marijuana from a licensed dispensary.
• "Washington, D.C. [v]oters approved a local initiative to decriminalize possession of a wide range of psychedelics, including psilocybin, ayahuasca and ibogaine.... Under the new law, possession and use of the psychedelics will be among the District’s lowest law enforcement priorities."

Read more: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/every-single-marijuana-and-drug-policy-ballot-measure-passing-on-election-day-bolsters-federal-reform-push/

In search of exponential growth

by George J. Dance

Imagine an invasive species of water lily that takes over a pond, choking off all other life; it grows exponentially, doubling its area every day. In 60 days the pond is completely full of lilies. When was the pond half full? When was the pond 1% full?

I expect most readers got the first answer: The pond was half full on day 59. The second is a bit trickier, and I found it much harder to estimate. It looks intuitive that if the pond is full in two months, it must have been at least 1% full after one month. However, that intuition does not account for the phenomenon of exponential growth. If the pond was full on day 60, then it was half full on day 59 (as you figured out), 1/4 full on day 58, 1/8 full on day 57, and so on. On day 53, the pond was only 1/128 full of lilies; so it was not 1% full until day 54. For more than seven weeks, there was nothing to see; then suddenly, in less than a week, the infestation had ripped through the pond killing everything in its path.

I read that story on the web in March. It was meant to illustrate the scary potential of the novel coronavirus, which at the time appeared to be growing exponentially. The warning was clear: even though, outside of New York, the virus was not even noticeable on this side of the ocean, it was only a matter of time before we had as many sick and dead as New York. The numbers got even scarier when one projected exponential growth into the future: epidemiologists at the Imperial College of London calculated that, by August 2020, 250 million Americans would be sick and 2.2 million would die, most in the last month.

Imperial College's report panicked Britain and the United States into lockdowns; and it was only lockdowns, we are told, that prevented its nightmare scenario from coming true: Without lockdowns, those countries would have suffered exponential growth and almost 3 million dead. The conclusion was inescapable: if those countries abandon lockdown, they once again face exponential growth and close to 3 million dead.

However, American state lockdowns have proved to be unsustainable. While still hugely popular with voters, they are being increasingly defied and ignored; and state governments (with a few exceptions like California) have found it necessary to lift or at least relax them. Since then the virus has resurged, and if the lockdown theory is right we can expect it to now resume exponential growth. Which is exactly why it is important to establish whether the virus is and/or will grow exponentially, anywhere.

Last week I looked at the numbers for the United States as a whole. I found that, while the virus grew exponentially in March (when total numbers were small), by mid-April (with 43 American states under lockdown) growth had become linear instead; the virus still spread, but at a steady rate. Even more encouragingly, after states began lifting and easing lockdowns, growth stayed linear.

One helpful comment I received on that column suggested I look at the Republican states that have had newsworthy recent surges: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Texas. All four states have Republican governors, who have drawn extensive criticism, and lost some support with voters, for easing lockdowns already. If exponential growth were re-occurring anywhere, surely it would be there. So, leaving Georgia for another time, I did a similar dive into the numbers for those states, again using Worldometer's "United States" coronavirus pages for data. In addition, I used the numbers for California (a state that has has maintained a strick lockdown, but has also seen a surge) as a control. My tabulations appear at the end.

For the three "Republican" states, I found that while cases have risen dramatically in all of them, growth in all cases has stayed linear. Both Florida and Texas have seen a big surge in cases, to more than 10,000 a day; however, neither state's figures show the constant doubling that indicates exponential growth. Florida went from 50,000 cases to 100,000 in 30 days; from 100,000 to 200,000 in 13 days; from 150,000 to 300,000 in 15 days; and from 200,000 to 400,000 in 19 days - a big speedup, followed by a slowdown. For Texas, the comparable time intervals were 30, 18, 18, and 21 days. Arizona's cases doubled from 20,000 to 40,000 in 15 days; from 40,000 to 80,000 in 14; from 60,000 to 120,000 in 20; and from 80,000 to 160,000 in 25 days - a consistenty slower growth.

It was otherwise with California, the lockdown state. California, with a larger population than either Florida or Texas, has only a slightly higher number of cases than either; and while its death total is more than double that of either, it per capita death rate is below that of both Florida and Arizona. California's numbers seem low; but then, so did the number of lilies on the pond back on day 30. Given exponential growth, low numbers early on mean little.

And in California, exponential growth may be occurring. The state's caseload doubled from 50,000 to 100,000 in 26 days; from 100,000 to 200,000 in 29 days; from 150,000 to 300,000 in 26 days; and from 200,000 to 400,000 in 26 days. That steady increase, though happening slowly, looks like constant doubling and therefore exponential growth  While it is too early to say for sure (and the pattern may change at any time), California could be in serious trouble by the fall.

California was the earliest state to lock down, on March 19. The state's strict lockdown has already been lauded by at least one academic study, a National Bureau of Economic Research paper published in April, which concluded that the lockdown had prevented "as many as 1,661" deaths from COVID-19 in its first month. One can only hope that those, and subsequent months', prevented deaths in the state remain prevented..   

===Arizona===
Deaths (time to add 500)
Jun. 5 - 1,012 (28 days)
Jun 24 - 1,490 (19 days)
Jul. 9 - 2,038 (15 days)
Jul 16 - 2,492 (7 days)
Jul 22 - 2,974 (6 days)

Cases  (time to add 20,000)
Jun. 1 - 20,123
Jun 16 - 39,097 (15 days)
Jun 24 - 59,974 (8 days)
Jun 30 - 79,215 (6 days)
Jul. 5 - 98,089 (5 days)
Jul 11 - 119,930 (6 days)
Jul 17 - 138,523 (6 days)
Jul 25 - 160,041 (8 days)

===California===
Deaths (time to add 1,000)
Apr 17 - 1,041
Apr 30 - 2,029 (13 days)
May 13 - 2,966 (13 days)
May 28 - 4,039 (15 days)
Jun 12 - 4,988 (15 days)
Jun 29 - 5,976 (17 days)
Jul 11 - 7,026 (12 days)
Jul 22 - 8,045 (11 days)

Cases (time to add 50,000)
Apr 30 - 50,347
May 26 - 100,208 (26 days)
Jun 13 - 150,921 (18 days)
Jun 24 - 194,415 (11 days)
Jul. 2 - 249,094 (8 days)
Jul. 9 - 303,323 (7 days)
Jul 15 - 355,285 (6 days)
Jul 20 - 399,898 (5 days)
Jul 25 - 453,121 (5 days)

===Florida===
Deaths (time to add 1,000)
Apr 23 - 987
May 18 - 1,997 (25 days)
Jun 16 - 2,996 (19 days)
Jul. 9 - 4,009 (23 days)
Jul 19 - 4,985 (10 days)
Jul 27 - 5,933 (8 days)

Cases (time to add 50,000)
May 23 - 50,127
Jun 22 - 100,217 (30 days)
Jun 30 - 152,434 (8 days)
July 5 - 200,111 (5 days)
Jul 10 - 244,151 (5 days)
Jul 15 - 301,180 (5 days)
Jul 19 - 350,047 (4 days)
Jul 24 - 402,312 (5 days)

===Texas===
Deaths (time to add 1,000)
May 6, - 1,006
Jun 14 - 1,996 (29 days)
Jul. 9 - 3,052 (25 days)
Jul 18 - 4,007 (9 days)
Jul 25 - 5,069 (7 days)

Cases (time to add 50,000)
May 18 - 49, 684
Jun 17 - 99,304 (30 days)
Jun 27 - 148,845 (10 days)
Jul. 5 - 202,146 (8 days)
Jul 10 - 254,319 (5 days)
Jul 15 - 302,817 (5 days)
Jul 20 - 347,135 (5 days)
Jul 26 - 397,992 (6 days)

Five 2nd amendment sanctuary counties in AZ

Arizona’s Most Populous County Becomes Second Amendment Sanctuary | American Greatness - Catherine Smith:

February 27, 2020 - "Arizona’s most populous county on Wednesday joined a growing movement in which areas are declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries and protecting their rights to keep and bear arms.... The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in Phoenix voted 4-1 to adopt a resolution that declares one of the nation’s fastest-growing counties a “Second Amendment Preservation County.” The move follows recent trends across the southern and western United States for municipalities to reaffirm their support for gun rights and stave off gun-control policies that could be seen as unconstitutional.  Arizona’s Apache, La Paz, Yavapai, and Mohave counties  have all adopted similar symbolic resolutions.

The resolution in Maricopa County, which has about 4.4 million residents ... introduced by Chairman Clint Hickman essentially shows Maricopa County’s support for constitutional Second Amendment rights, the right to own guns.

"Supervisor Steve Gallardo, a Democrat who cast the only 'no' vote, denounced the politically charged resolution.... 'A resolution should not be divisive,' he said. 'It should not be partisan'.... Chairman Hickman countered that multiple constituents had expressed support for the sanctuary designation that was first used in 2018 in Illinois and quickly spread to California, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia and other states....

"In Arizona, gun owners are already free to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. They can also bypass background checks if they buy their firearms at a gun show. However, federal background checks are required for other purchases."

Read more: https://amgreatness.com/2020/02/27/arizonas-most-populous-county-becomes-second-amendment-sanctuary/

AZ Libertarians appeal to SCOTUS to get on ballot

Libertarian Party tells Supreme Court state law keeps its candidates off ballot | News | tucson.com - Mamta Popat, Tucson Star:

December 21, 2019 - "The Arizona Libertarian Party is making a last-ditch effort to quash a state statute that it says was designed to keep its candidates off the ballot. In filings with the U.S. Supreme Court, attorney Oliver Hall from the Center for Competitive Democracy said the law pushed through the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2015 sharply increased — sometimes by a factor of 30 — the number of signatures needed for Libertarian candidates to qualify for the ballot.

"That wasn’t by accident. In fact the record shows that J.D. Mesnard, then a GOP representative from Chandler and now a state senator, told colleagues that Republicans would have been elected to two congressional seats had it not been for what he said were Libertarian candidates in the same race siphoning votes that otherwise would have gone to the GOP contenders. 'I can’t believe we wouldn’t see the benefit of this,' Mesnard said during a floor speech....

"Only one Libertarian qualified for the ballot in 2016 — and none at all in 2018. 'Arizona has relegated the Arizona Libertarian Party to a state of electoral purgatory,' Hall wrote. 'The party is ballot-qualified under Arizona law, but it cannot place its candidates on the ballot'....

"So far, Hall’s arguments have failed to sway federal judges. They concluded the wording of that 2015 law, strictly speaking, treats all parties equally in how they get their candidates qualified for the ballot. But it’s the way the system actually works that is behind the litigation.

"Prior to 2015, candidates for recognized minor parties could get on the ballot simply by submitting petitions with the signatures of one-half of 1% of those registered with the party. In 2018 for the Libertarians, a statewide candidate would have had to collect around 160 names.

"That year, the Republicans who control the Legislature lowered the requirement for all parties to one-quarter of 1%. But they engineered it so the figure was based not on party registration but on all who could sign a candidate’s petition. That added political independents to the base, who actually outnumber Democrats and run a close second to Republicans.

"So in 2018 the minimum signature requirement for a Libertarian running statewide was 3,153, about 10% of all those actually registered as Libertarians. Meanwhile the numbers for Republican and Democrat nominations remained close to what [they] always had been: 6,223 signatures for GOP candidates and 5,801 for Democrats, both a small fraction of each party’s voter registration."

Read more: https://tucson.com/news/arizona_news/libertarian-party-tells-supreme-court-state-law-keeps-its-candidates/article_d6f9288e-2251-5639-9c4a-9af705e75e0c.html
'via Blog this'

AZ law designed to keep Libertarians off ballot upheld on appeal

Law Libertarians Contend Targets Their Candidates Upheld | Arizona News | US News - Associated Press:
May 31, 2019 - "A state law that the Libertarian Party contends was designed to keep its candidates off Arizona ballots has been upheld by a federal appeals court.... [The] 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments from the Libertarian Party that the law increasing the number of qualifying signatures party candidates need violates their constitutional rights.

"The 2015 law backed by Republicans had a major impact. Only one Libertarian seeking to run for the state Legislature or Congress made the ballot in 2016 compared to 18 in 2004. Former Libertarian Party chairman Michael Kielsky has said Republicans created a law 'laser-focused' on his party because they believed Libertarians were draining votes from GOP candidates."
Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arizona/articles/2019-05-31/law-libertarians-contend-targets-their-candidates-upheld

Ninth Circuit puts kibosh on Libertarian fight of Arizona election rules - Nathan Solis, Tucson Sentinel:
May 31, 2019 - "In 2015, Arizona changed its signature requirements to increase the number of signatures needed on nomination petitions to qualify candidates for placement on ballots. While parties with open primaries can collect signatures from registered party members, independents and unaffiliated voters, parties with a closed primary – like the Libertarian Party in Arizona  – can only take signatures from registered Libertarians....

"In 2017, a federal judge granted summary judgment to the state.... And ... on Friday a Ninth Circuit panel agreed. U.S. Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown wrote ... 'The state’s signature requirements are reasonable restrictions that impose, at most, a modest burden on the Libertarian Party’s First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, while directly advancing Arizona’s important regulatory interests'....

"The panel also rejected the party’s argument that the requirement is impossible since there are over 32,000 registered Libertarians in the state. 'Libertarian candidates can qualify for the primary ballot with signatures from 11% to 30% of party members in their jurisdictions, and no evidence suggests it is impossible to do so as a practical matter,' McKeown wrote."
Read more: http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/053119_az_libertarians_case/ninth-circuit-puts-kibosh-libertarian-fight-arizona-election-rules/
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U.S. third parties marginalized in midterms

How Third Parties Are Getting Screwed This Election Season - Reason.com Matt Walsh & Alexis Garcia:

October 26, 2018 - "The 2018 midterms have been chock full of two-party shenanigans, all too often aided and abetted by journalists, pollsters, and the voters themselves.

"It all starts with ballot access. If a state government considers you a 'major party,' getting on the ballot is a snap. Worst-case scenario, you need to collect signatures from a tiny fraction of your own registered voter base. Best case, you just show up.

"Third-party and independent candidates, on the other hand, have to collect tens of thousands of signatures in some states – 15,000 to run for governor in New York, for example, including at least 100 in each congressional district. Arizona Republicans ... changed the law to say that Libertarians need to collect signatures not just from their own members but from registered independents as well. And by the way, the Green Party is subject to a less stringent set of rules.... Some states push their filing deadlines all the way back to a year before the election....

"New Hampshire this year herded all third parties under the same ballot line, confusingly titled 'Libertarians and Other Candidates.' New Mexico tried — and thankfully failed — to institute a 'straight party' ballot, meaning voters in this 3:2 Democratic state could automatically vote for all the candidates in one party by checking off just one box....

"Getting your name on the ballot doesn't mean it will be included in the polls. The Nevada race for U.S. Senate is universally rated a tossup, and yet the first three independent polls released this October failed to include Libertarian Tim Hagan...

"How about debates? Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dale Kerns was assured of a spot on stage, then uninvited. Texas gubernatorial candidate Mark Tippets was told he didn't have enough qualifying press, in part because his coverage in the Spanish-language media didn't count.... Iowa governor candidate Jake Porter, who's polling higher than any other L.P. statehouse contender, says his debate invitations were rescinded, in part because he refused to buy commercials.

"'The freer and more general the competition,' Adam Smith wrote in 1776, the more 'advantageous' it will be to the public. Competitors, he warned, will 'always' try 'to widen the market and to narrow the competition.' For too long we have allowed our system of government, that other glorious achievement from 1776, to be controlled by the market-rigging forces Smith warned us about. It's about time to make American politics competitive again."

Read more: https://reason.com/reasontv/2018/10/26/how-third-parties-being-screwed-this-ele
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U.S. gun laws disarm cannabis users (II)

Pot Prohibition Makes Self-Defense Illegal - Reason.com - Jacob Sullum:

September 12, 2018 - "When a stranger forced his way into her apartment, tackled her, punched her repeatedly, and tried to cover her mouth with a cloth, Krissy Noble says, she did what she thought was necessary to protect herself and her unborn baby. She grabbed a handgun from the coffee table and shot the man three times, then ran to a neighbor's apartment and asked her to call the police.

"Although local prosecutors agreed that the shooting was justified, Noble faces charges that could put her behind bars for years, thanks to a marijuana conviction that made it illegal for her to possess firearms. Her case shows how drug prohibition and indiscriminate gun laws conspire to deprive people of the constitutional right to armed self-defense....

"'It is the opinion of this office that Krissy Lenae Noble was justified in her use of force and that this is a justifiable homicide, which does not merit the filing of criminal charges with regard to the homicidal event,' Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Shue said in a statement issued last month. Noble, who had pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with intent to deliver in February 2017, was nevertheless arrested for violating a state [of Arizona] law that bars felons from possessing guns.

"That offense is a Class D felony, punishable by up to six years in prison. Noble, who is 21 and now the mother of a baby boy, may also have to serve time for the marijuana offense, since staying away from guns was a condition of the five-year suspended sentence she received....

"Most states have similar laws, and the federal government forbids gun possession by cannabis consumers as well as people convicted of marijuana felonies. Violating that ban is itself a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

"The upshot is that people who have never violated anyone's rights or demonstrated any violent tendencies can go to prison for exercising a fundamental human right guaranteed by the Constitution. That is true even of people who were convicted of doing things that are no longer crimes under state law, unless they manage to get their records downgraded or expunged.

"Ten years ago, when the Supreme Court recognized that the Second Amendment protects the right to keep guns for self-defense, it said 'nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons.' Yet if the right to protect oneself against aggressors is 'fundamental,' as the Court said it has long been considered ... it cannot be treated so lightly that proximity to a bag of dried vegetable matter leaves a young pregnant woman defenseless in her own home."

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2018/08/31/arkansas-mom-justified-shooting-weed
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See also: U.S. gun laws disarm cannabis users (I)

Arizona politicians enjoy "legislative immunity"

An Arizona Lawmaker Thought Speeding Was OK Because of His Legislative Immunity - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Zurie Davis:

July 13, 2018 - "An Arizona politician has been caught on camera bragging that he's exempt from the law. The body-cam video, first shared by Parker Live Online, shows a sheriff's deputy speaking with state Rep. Paul Mosley (R–Lake Havasu City) after pulling him over for speeding.

"'I informed Mosley that 97 mph in a 55 mph zone is considered criminal speed,' the deputy wrote in his written report. 'Mosley stated he was just in a hurry to get home to surprise his family in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Mosley also told me that I should just let him go and that I shouldn't waste anymore of my time dealing with him due to his immunity as a government official'....

"After a brief argument about speeding, the deputy walks away without appearing to give Mosley a speeding ticket. A search of traffic violations by the Associated Press does not show Mosley receiving a ticket that day.

"The legislative immunity that Mosley touted is found in Article 4, Part 2, Section 6 of the Arizona Constitution. It states, 'Members of the legislature shall be privileged from arrest in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, and they shall not be subject to any civil process during the session of the legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement of each session.'

House Speaker J.D. Mesnard criticized Mosley's use of immunity, saying, 'Nothing short of an emergency justifies that kind of speeding, and assertions of immunity in that situation seem outside the intent of the constitutional provision regarding legislative immunity.'

"The Arizona Fraternal Order of Police also responded by rescinding its endorsement of Mosley.... Mosley's colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, have also responded negatively to the video.... On Thursday, Mosley apologized for his conduct in a Facebook post."

Read more: https://reason.com/blog/2018/07/13/arizona-lawmaker-speeding-immunity
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Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdbZIPusCMw

AZ GOP gets Libertarian gov. candidate off ballot

Is the Arizona GOP at War with the Libertarian Party? - IVN.us - Shawn M. Griffiths:

June 29, 2018 - "Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Kevin McCormick is officially off his party’s primary ballot. He was the only libertarian candidate still in the race, until Arizona GOP Chair Jonathan Lines challenged the legitimacy of over 90 percent of his ballot signatures.

"McCormick ... said he found out 15 minutes before his hearing that he would be kicked off the ballot. The one hold up was Maricopa County. He said that because the county recorder’s office went beyond what was legally required, the recorder’s report had him 942 signatures short of what he needed. [Update: Kevin McCormick says his campaign has identified over 500 valid signatures as of Friday morning that were tossed by Maricopa County.]....

"Lines challenged the registration status of many of the voters, as well as the lack of city/town information on addresses. The most detrimental challenge to McCormick, though, targeted the party affiliation of many of the signers. McCormick ... was ... able to get signatures from hundreds of Republicans and Democrats. Because of this, though, the Arizona GOP was able to successfully kick him out of the gubernatorial race....

"Gaining ballot access is not easy for independent and third party candidates in Arizona.... The Republican-controlled state legislature also made things more difficult for Libertarian candidates in 2015 when they passed a ballot access law that raised the signature requirement to qualify for the Libertarian primary ballot.

"Richard Winger, editor of Ballot Access News and nationally-recognized expert on the subject, explained to me that the 2015 law based the party’s new signature requirement on total registered voters in the state, rather than the total number of registered libertarians. Winger noted that the law only hurt Libertarians.

"The Libertarian Party filed a lawsuit challenging the law. It failed in district court. However, the party is now asking the Ninth Circuit to overturn the law.

"In 2018, McCormick had to get 3,152 signatures versus the 133 required before the 2015 law. To put that in perspective, the new signature requirement is a little over 10 percent of the total number of registered libertarians in Arizona."

Read more: https://ivn.us/2018/06/29/arizona-gop-war-libertarian-party/
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Arizona's campus cannabis ban struck down by state Supreme Court

A Libertarian on the Bench - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Damon Root:

June 4, 2018 - "In the recent case of Arizona v. Maestas, ... [at] issue was the 2014 arrest of an Arizona State University student named Andre Lee Juwaun Maestas. Under the terms of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA), a voter initiative passed in 2010, Maestas was a valid medical marijuana cardholder. That meant that he was legally allowed to possess 2.5 ounces of 'usable marijuana.' Yet Maestas was arrested after university police found 0.014 ounces of marijuana in his dorm room.....

"They arrested him because in 2012 the state legislature amended the AMMA to forbid all medical marijuana use and possession on state college and university campuses....

"Per the Arizona Constitution, the state legislature may only amend a voter initiative if 'the amending legislation furthers the purposes of such measure.' The question before the Arizona Supreme Court in the Maestas case was whether the 2012 criminalization law was at odds with that provision from the state Constitution.

"The Arizona Supreme Court held that it was. 'Criminalizing AMMA-compliant marijuana possession or use on public college or university campuses plainly does not further the AMMA's primary purpose,' the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in Arizona v. Maestas. 'We hold [the 2012 law] unconstitutional as applied to the student/cardholder in this case'....

"According to the state of Arizona, the judiciary owed total deference to the lawmakers here. In the state's view, the legislature alone enjoys the power to establish and maintain "a general and uniform public school system.' Criminalizing marijuana use on public campuses, the state insisted, should be immune from judicial review because it is a non-justiciable 'political question'."

Read more: https://reason.com/blog/2018/06/04/a-libertarian-on-the-bench
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Libertarian chair declares for Phoenix mayor

Libertarian Party Chairman Nicholas Sarwark Is Running For Mayor of Phoenix - The Jack News - Andy Craig:

December 11, 2017 - "Nicholas Sarwark, the chairman of the national Libertarian Party, has thrown his hat into the ring for mayor of Phoenix, America’s fifth-largest city. On Tuesday, Sarwark filed his paperwork with the city clerk’s office, and posted a video explaining why he’s seeking public office for the first time.

"Nicholas Sarwark, the chairman of the national Libertarian Party, has thrown his hat into the ring for mayor of Phoenix, America’s fifth-largest city. On Tuesday, Sarwark filed his paperwork with the city clerk’s office, and posted a video explaining why he’s seeking public office for the first time.

"The incumbent mayor, Greg Stanton, has announced that he is running for Congress as a Democrat in the 2018 elections. Under Arizona’s 'resign to run' law ... he must resign his current office no later than May 30. The timing of the special election, which is officially nonpartisan, will be determined by exactly when Stanton resigns....

"Sarwark is best-known to Libertarians as the party’s national chairman, including presiding over the convention last year in Orlando that nominated Govs. Gary Johnson and Bill Weld. Sarwark was first elected to the position in 2014, and was re-elected in a landslide in 2016.

"He is also an attorney, who worked for several years as a public defender, and the third-generation owner of Sarwark Consolidated Auto Sales, the largest and oldest independent car dealership in Phoenix.... A substantial chunk of the city’s population has done business with Sarwark, and everyone else has at least seen the ads featuring his memorable and unique surname....

"It’s an uphill fight, but Sarwark is putting together a team to take a serious run at it, bringing in both Libertarian and nonpartisan talent. As the national party chair, Sarwark has also developed a personal relationship with major donors, some of whom may now support his campaign.

"Because it’s a nonpartisan race, party labels won’t appear on the ballot, and both Democrats will face Sarwark in the general election. If no candidate wins outright with over 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held between the top-two vote-getters."

Read more: https://www.thejacknews.com/politics/elections/libertarian-party-chairman-nicholas-sarwark-running-mayor-phoenixa1/
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Arizona Libertarians lose ballot law challenge

Law requiring more signatures for Libertarian candidates remains | State-and-regional | azdailysun.com - Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services:

July 10, 2017 - "A federal judge has rebuffed a bid by the Libertarian Party to kill an Arizona law even its sponsors concede was designed to make it harder for minor party candidates to get on the general election ballot.

"Judge David Campbell acknowledged Monday the 2015 law sharply increases the number of signatures that Libertarian candidates need to qualify for ballot status. In some cases, the difference is more than 20 times the old requirement.

"The result was that only one Libertarian candidate qualified for the ballot in 2016, and none made it to the general election. By contrast, there were 25 in 2004, 19 in 2008 and 18 in 2012.

"But Campbell said the new hurdle is not 'unconstitutionally burdensome.' And the judge accepted the arguments that the higher signature requirements ensure that candidates who reach the November ballot have some “threshold of support'....

"In pushing for the change, GOP lawmakers made no secret they do not want Libertarian Party candidates in the race, contending that a vote for a Libertarian is a vote that would otherwise go to a Republican....

"Prior to 2015, would-be candidates qualified for the ballot by getting the signatures of one-half of one percent of all party members within a given area.... The new formula changed that to one-quarter of a percent — but for all people who could sign a candidate's petition. That adds political independents, who outnumber Democrats and are running neck-in-neck with Republicans, to the equation....

"Using that pre-2016 formula, a Libertarian could run for statewide office with petitions bearing just 134 names, one-half percent of all those registered with the party. But the new formula, which takes into account all the independents, required a Libertarian trying to get on a statewide ballot to get 3,023 signatures.

"To put that in perspective, that is close to 12 percent of all registered Libertarians. By contrast, the statewide burden for a GOP candidate, based on the number of registered Republicans, remains close to that one-half of one percent of all adherents."

Read more: http://azdailysun.com/news/local/state-and-regional/law-requiring-more-signatures-for-libertarian-candidates-remains/article_120fabb8-5436-5d50-af33-80e99fb1a32f.html
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Arizona Rep. opposes compulsory school laws

Rep. Paul Mosley on lawmaker cousins and repealing compulsory education – Arizona Capitol Times - Hank Stephenson:

May 1, 2017 - "Freshman Republican Rep. Paul Mosley of Lake Havasu City.... What’d you think of your first hundred days?
"I love every bit of this political environment. I love working votes, and killing bad bills, and working with the 90 legislators. It’s fun.... But at the same time I need to respect why I was elected, which is to shrink the size of government, to repeal more legislation than we pass, which I found is pretty much impossible.

"I used to always ask candidates, If you could repeal one law, what would it be? And they usually gave me a blank stare.
"The bill that I passed is a repeal. It repeals the isobutanol limit in gasoline. It’s an additive in fuels. All of our fuels have ethanol in them. And what isobutanol does, it makes it so the ethanol is less harmful to an engine. Ethanol eats car parts, it’s bad for cars to sit with ethanol in the tank. So people with classic cars want this isobutanol.

What else would you like to repeal?
"The number one thing I would like to repeal is the law on compulsory education.  And let me explain to make it very clear why I want to repeal this.... When my son was five in kindergarten, he missed 18 days. My son is a very brilliant kid, he gets straight As. The truancy officer called....  I was actually pretty upset about getting a call from a policeman, because if I remember correctly, it’s a $400 fine and a misdemeanor for the parent. Whether the absences are excused or not.... The schools get their funding on daily attendance. This is why I believe the law is not a good law. Because education used to be a privilege. People used to believe getting an education was something you had to be privileged to get, that you had to work hard to get. Now we basically force it down everybody’s throats..... I believe education is still a privilege, and the kids who don’t want to be there are a larger distraction to the kids who do want to be there. We’re telling kids they have to go to school, and we put fences around the schools to protect them now, and we give them a meal or two and sometimes send a backpack of food home with them. So now schools are not only tasked with educating our children, but also feeding our children. What happened to the personal responsibility of a parent to feed and educate their kids?"

Read more: http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2017/05/01/rep-paul-mosley-on-lawmaker-cousins-and-repealing-compulsory-education/
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Arizona House passes modest forfeiture reform

Tenth Amendment Center Blog | Arizona House Unanimously Passes Bill Taking on State, Federal Asset Forfeiture - Mike Maharrey:

February 23, 2017 - "Today, the Arizona House voted 60-0 to pass a bill reforming the state’s asset forfeiture laws. The bill also takes on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing cases off to the feds in most situations....

"Rep. Eddie Farnsworth (R-Gilbert) introduced House Bill 2477 (HB2477) on Feb. 7. The legislation would require prosecutors to establish a higher evidentiary standard for asset forfeiture. As it stands, the law only requires a preponderance of the evidence. HB2477 would raise that, requiring police and prosecutors to provide 'clear and convincing evidence' the property was linked to a crime. While the proposed law would not require a criminal conviction before proceeding with asset forfeiture, it would take a step toward reforming Arizona’s forfeiture laws under that essential standard.

"HB2477 would also drastically increase transparency. It would establish stringent asset forfeiture reporting requirements law enforcement agencies would have to follow. Additionally, police would have to detail how seized funds are spent.

"While the reforms are modest in comparison with those under consideration in many states, law enforcement has aggressively lobbied against the bill. Activists have obtained letters sent to representatives from at least three police departments opposing the bill....  Despite the opposition, the Arizona House passed it by a 60-0 vote.....

"HB2477 also close a loophole that allows prosecutors to bypass more stringent state asset forfeiture laws by passing cases off to the federal government under its Equitable Sharing forfeiture program: 'The seizing agency or the attorney for the state may not enter into any agreement to transfer or refer seized property to a federal agency ... for the purpose of forfeiture unless the seized property includes more than one hundred thousand dollars in United States currency'....

"The inclusion of provisions barring state and local law enforcement agencies from passing off cases to the feds is particularly important.... By placing the case under federal jurisdiction, law enforcement can ... collect up to 80 percent of the proceeds from forfeited assets via the federal Equitable Sharing Program ...  a pipeline the feds use to incentivize state and local police to serve as de facto arms of the federal government by funneling billions of dollars into their budgets....

"HB2477 now moves to the Senate for further consideration."

Read more: http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2017/02/arizona-house-unanimously-passes-bill-taking-on-state-federal-asset-forfeiture/
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California, Massachusetts, & Nevada cannabis legalization initiatives pass

Voters Legalize Marijuana in Three States - The New York Times - Thomas Fuller:

November 9, 2016. - "Voters in California, Massachusetts and Nevada legalized marijuana on Tuesday in what advocates said was a reflection of the country’s changing attitude toward the drug.

"A similar measure in Maine led by less than a point with 98 percent of precincts reporting. Voters in Arizona defeated a legalization measure.

"Leading up to the election, recreational marijuana use was legal in four states: Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, along with the District of Columbia.

"With the addition of California, Massachusetts and Nevada, the percentage of Americans living in states where marijuana use is legal for adults rose above 20 percent, from 5 percent.

"A Gallup poll in October found nationwide support for legalization at 60 percent, the highest level in the 47 years the organization has tracked the issue. Support is rising even though some public health experts warn that there have been insufficient studies of the drug’s effects, and that law enforcement agencies lack reliable tests and protocols to determine whether a driver is impaired by marijuana.

"Supporters in California portrayed legalization as both a social justice and a criminal justice issue, saying the measure would help redress the disproportionate numbers of arrests and convictions among minorities for drug crimes.

"A bill to legalize marijuana in Vermont, supported by Gov. Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, failed this year. But in Massachusetts, public support for legalization rose during the fall, even with bipartisan opposition from the state’s top elected officials and an organized anti-legalization campaign.

"In addition to Tuesday’s votes on recreational marijuana, Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota all passed medical marijuana initiatives."

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/us/politics/election-ballot.html?_r=0
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Opioid makers spend big to stop legal cannabis

Why Big Pharma is Spending so Much Money to Defeat Marijuana Initiatives - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Eric Boehm:

October 28, 2016 - "Legal marijuana will poison children and cause more Arizonans to die in car crashes, according to scary television and online ads running across the state in advance of Election Day. 'Edibles that look like candy, marketed to kids,' warns one ad, with a voiceover meant to sound like a concerned mother....

"The ads were created by Arizonans For Responsible Drug Policy, a group that's encouraging voters to reject Arizona's Proposition 205, which would allow people aged 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants in their own homes. Arizona is one of [five] states — along with California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada — that could vote to legalize recreational weed on November 8.

"Despite the voices and faces in the ads, though, Arizonans For Responsible Drug Policy and similar groups urging 'no' votes on marijuana legalization in other states are not funded by concerned parents and public officials. In large part, these groups are funded by pharmaceutical companies trying to protect their share of the market for painkilling drugs — and in Arizona, the biggest donor to the 'No On 205' campaign is a company that's been investigated for its role in overdose deaths.

"That company, Arizona-based Insys Therapeutics Inc., is best known for manufacturing a pain relief spray that contains fentanyl, an opioid that's been under heightened scrutiny for its role in several overdose deaths, including the high-profile death of Prince in April..... Insys Therapeutics in August made a $500,000 contribution to Arizonans For Responsible Drug Policy, the largest donation the group has received from a single source.

"It's not just happening in Arizona. According to a report from The Nation, Purdue Pharma and Abbott Laboratories, makers of the painkiller[s] OxyContin and Vicodin, respectively, are among the largest contributors to the Anti-Drug Coalition of America. Meanwhile, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which advocates on behalf of drug companies, spent nearly $19m on lobbying in 2015, according to a report from The Guardian, which called PhaRMA 'one of marijuana's biggest opponents.' Federal lobbying data aggregated by Maplight shows that PhaRMA has spent more than $150 million on lobbying since 2008 — a total that only includes federal lobbying efforts, not similar work done in state capitals, where PhaRMA is also active....

"[I]t's worth asking why they would be so keen to spend millions of dollars fighting marijuana legalization.

"One big part of the answer is that states with legal marijuana — medical or recreational — have lower rates of drug prescriptions."

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2016/10/28/why-big-pharma-is-spending-so-much-money
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