US states adding 3rd shot to Covid-vax mandates

New Mexico adds boosters to COVID-19 vaccine mandates | Las Cruces Sun-News - Algernon D'Ammassa:

December 2, 2021 - "Workers covered by existing COVID-19 vaccine mandates in New Mexico will be required to get booster shots as well, beginning in January. The state Department of Health on Thursday amended its public health order requiring workers at schools, hospitals and congregate care facilities and the governor's office to be vaccinated, adding the additional dose to existing requirements. The new order states that those workers must document full vaccination plus booster by Jan. 17 or within four weeks of being eligible for the booster, which comes six months after completing a primary course of vaccine. 

"If primary and booster vaccinations are not documented with their employer, the workers must present a negative COVID-19 test weekly and wear a mask indoors at all times except when eating or drinking. The health order allows for medical or religious exemptions, but still requires weekly testing and masking requirements in those cases.

"On Nov. 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 'strengthened' its recommendation that all adults receive a boost to their COVID-19 vaccinations, six months after receiving Moderna or Pfizer's vaccines or two months after Johnson and Johnson. The booster doses were approved for adults last month by the Food and Drug Administration."
Read more: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/2021/12/02/new-mexico-covid-19-booster-shots-vaccine-mandate-omicron-variant/8844338002/

New York mandating COVID booster shot for health care workers. What to know | Journal News - David Robinson:

January 2, 2022 - "Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced a COVID-19 booster shot mandate for health care workers in New York, citing the rising numbers of vaccine breakthrough infections caused by the omicron variant. The mandate, which is pending approval by a state Health Department panel on Tuesday, would require workers at hospitals, nursing homes and other health care settings to get the booster shot within two weeks of becoming eligible, Hochul said.... New York would become the first state in the country to mandate a booster shot for health care workers. There would be a medical exemption allowed, but religious exemptions would be barred, according to Hochul's media briefing in Manhattan.

"The booster mandate comes after New York implemented one of the nation's first vaccine mandates for health care workers on Sept. 27. New York's initial vaccine mandate led to about 34,000 health workers losing jobs or being placed on leave, reflecting a reduction of 3.5% of the workforce. The vaccine mandate worker losses intensified long-standing staffing shortages at many hospitals and nursing homes, a situation that has only gotten worse as the omicron variant surge shattered records for daily infections, including 82,000 cases on Thursday alone.... 

"Hochul asserted that mandating a booster shot for health care workers would have a limited impact on staffing shortages, citing how 92% of the health workforce complied with the initial vaccine mandate.... But the uptake of boosters among some health care workers has lagged behind the national averages for getting the additional doses in arms."
Read more: https://www.lohud.com/story/news/coronavirus/2022/01/07/new-york-mandate-covid-booster-shot-health-care-workers/9131244002/

Hawaii to require travelers have COVID booster shot to be 'fully vaccinated' | ABC News - Mary Kekatos:

January 17, 2022 - "Hawaii will require visitors to the state to have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster if they want to skip quarantine. Currently, under the rules of the state's 'Safe Travels' program, travelers who don't want to quarantine for five days must either be fully vaccinated -- meaning two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine -- or have a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel. [The change] means fully vaccinated travelers who haven't received a booster shot will have to quarantine in Hawaii for five days.

"Ige said changes to the program will not occur for at least two weeks so people traveling to Hawaii can adjust their plans accordingly.... Ige also said he was speaking with mayors and other local leaders about requiring booster shots to dine in restaurants and participate in other activities and events. However, he said he will leave that decision up to individual counties.

"Last month, Maui Mayor Michael Victorino revealed booster shots would be required for locals to be considered fully vaccinated. The rule was supposed to go into effect on Jan. 8 but was delayed until Jan. 24 so people have time to schedule booster shots, reported KHON 2.

"This move comes as the Hawaii Tourism Authority announced the Safe Travels program would be undergoing several changes, including reducing the mandatory quarantine period for unvaccinated travelers without a negative COVID-19 test from 10 days to five days, in accordance with updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Additionally, visitors will no longer be required to fill out an online questionnaire 24 hours before arrival to receive a QR code."
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/hawaii-require-travelers-covid-booster-shot-fully-vaccinated/story?id=82307999

Hawaii decriminalizes cannabis possession

Hawaii becomes 26th state to decriminalize marijuana - ABC News - Bill Hutchinson:

July 10, 2019 - "Hawaii has become the 26th state in the nation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana -- but its governor cautioned it does not mean the state is ready to say aloha to legalizing recreational use of cannabis.

"While Hawaii Gov. David Ige declined to sign the decriminalization legislation, the change in law will take effect in January because he took no action by Tuesday's veto deadline.

"Under the new law, people caught with small amounts of marijuana will no longer face a misdemeanor charge that had been punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Now people caught with 3 ounces or less of weed can still be hit with a citation carrying a $130 fine, but no jail term.

"Ige ... said during a news conference last month that there are things about the bill 'I don't like'... The governor said one thing he disliked about the bill is that it does not include a provision to help young people who want to get into substance abuse programs.

"He also said the new law does not mean Hawaii, which was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 2000, is on the verge of joining the bandwagon of states that have legalized recreational cannabis....

"Eleven states and Washington D.C. have legalized recreational use of marijuana. Illinois became the latest state to legalize the recreational use of weed last month when Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law the first bill to legalize weed that was passed by a state legislature....

"Ige, a Democrat, noted that there were several bills voted down by the legislature this session to legalize recreational marijuana in the state."

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/hawaii-26th-state-decriminalize-marijuana/story?id=64239358
'via Blog this'

U.S. gun laws disarm cannabis users (I)

Guns or marijuana? Firearm-owning cannabis users facing a choice - Mark Scolforo, Associated Press:

January 15, 2018 - "As gun-loving Pennsylvania becomes the latest state to operate a medical marijuana program ... authorities are warning patients that federal law bars marijuana users from having guns or ammunition ... but the reality of how the policy might be enforced in Pennsylvania and other states is a little muddier. That includes the question of whether people who already own guns might have to surrender them, instead of just being prohibited from making new purchases....

"State laws allowing medical or, more recently, recreational use of pot have long been at odds with the federal prohibition on gun ownership by those using marijuana. But the government has traditionally taken a hands-off approach. Since 2014, Congress has forbidden the Department of Justice from spending money to prosecute people who grow, sell and use medical pot....

"The Justice Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives [ATF] has left no doubt where it stands. Last year, the ATF spelled out the marijuana prohibition in boldface type on gun purchase forms.

“'Any person who uses or is addicted to marijuana, regardless of whether his or her state has passed legislation authorizing marijuana use for medical purposes … is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition,' ATF spokeswoman Janice L. Kemp said in an email to The Associated Press....

"The gun-ownership ban has withstood at least one legal challenge. An appeals court in San Francisco, reject[ed] a challenge on Second Amendment grounds ... in 2016.... Meanwhile, some state and local officials, particularly in law enforcement, have sought to crack down.

"William Bryson, chairman of the Delaware Police Chiefs’ Council, told state lawmakers in December that people who use marijuana for medical or recreational purposes should be required to have a designation on their driver’s licenses. That would make it easier, he said, for police to enforce the ban.

"And last month, a police chief in Hawaii publicized and then quickly rescinded a directive that medical marijuana patients had to give up their handguns. [However, the department continues to deny new gun permits for cannabis cardholders.]...

"The issue has been largely theoretical, but there would be quick pushback if the federal government took a more aggressive stance, said Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

"Between 1998 and 2014, nearly 100,000 prospective gun purchasers went home empty-handed because they were flagged as using illegal drugs, according to the ATF. But the agency could not say how many of those used medical or recreational marijuana."

Read more: https://www.thecannabist.co/2018/01/15/marijuana-users-gun-ownership/96741/
'via Blog this'

See also: U.S. gun laws disarm cannabis users (II)

Libertarian highlights from the 2014 midterms

Libertarian Election Results 2014 - J. Wilson, A Libertarian Future:

November 5, 2014 - "Libertarian candidates may not have won very many elections this year, but we’ve had some high percentage victories. In some states, that means we’ll get the ballot access we deserve for the next election. Guaranteed ballot access is important because it’s time and money that we won’t have to waste next time. Libertarians will be able to spend more time and money campaigning, and less time getting arbitrary signature counts.

"These high percentage Libertarian election results also send a clear message to both of the two parties. Voting Libertarian tells them they won’t receive our consent, and will have to work harder if they ever want our votes. If they don’t, we’re more than happy to keep voting Libertarian.

"These Libertarian election results show just how many Americans are fed up with the two party system and want a third major party.

• Top Voter Percentage: Randall Lord from Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District with 26.56% (55,224 votes) 
• Runner Up: Lucas Overby from Florida’s 13th Congressional District with 24.75% (55,273 votes) 
• Top Vote Total: Adrian Wyllie for Governor of Florida with 222,565 votes (3.75% of the vote) 
• Runner Up: Bill Wohlsifer for Attorney General of Florida with 168,946 votes (2.9% of the vote) 

"Ballot Access: Hawaii, for winning more than 4% of the vote in all State Senate races. Maryland, for winning more than 1% in the Governor’s Race. Mississippi, for winning more than 2% of the vote in House elections. North Dakota, for winning more than 5% of the vote in a Statewide Race. Utah, for winning more than 2% in a Statewide office. Wisconsin, for receiving more than 1% of the vote in a Statewide Race. Wyoming, for winning more than 2% of the vote in the House election....

"More to come!"

Read more: http://alibertarianfuture.com/2014-election/libertarian-election-results-2014/#sthash.ToC0ljkF.dpbs
'via Blog this'

HI Libertarians run record number of candidates

Libertarian candidates 'on the rise' - Brenton Awa, KITV 4:

October 7, 2014 - "Come November, you might notice a lot of L's on the ballot. This year's general election fields 17 Libertarian candidates. That's the most ever offered by the party in Hawaii and it's also 16 more than the one who made the ballot in the last election.

"'Rather than waiting for the current system to change, we want to be the ones making the change,' said Anthony Higa, the Libertarian state House candidate....

"Higa's looking to represent State House District 19. He's going up against the incumbent Bert Kobayashi and Republican Victoria Mathieu. Higa's one of the Libertarians top candidates and he's giving this run all he's got. Higa already went as far as quitting his day job to focus on finding the needs of his community. But when no Libertarian has ever won any race in the state, getting supporters can be next to impossible.

"'The chances are always long shots unless you're a democrat in the State of Hawaii because this is a blue state,' said Tracy Ryan, Libertarian Party chairperson.

"The hope for this party lies in its beliefs. Libertarians want minimal government involvement while maximizing the public's freedom. They stand for ending the income tax, keeping guns accessible and marriage equality. 

"'We feel that liberty is the default position in a free country and we feel the burden of proof are the people that want to make anything illegal should fall on them, not on the people who say that it shouldn't be criminal or illegal,' said Ryan.

Read more: http://www.kitv.com/news/libertarian-candidates-on-the-rise/29004194