Pubdate: Wed, 28 May 2014
Source: Oakland Press, The (MI)
Copyright: 2014 The Oakland Press
Contact:  http://www.theoaklandpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2114
Author: Aftab Borka
Page: A3

GROUP FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY FOR MARIJUANA BALLOT Delay

A group fighting to decriminalize marijuana in Oak Park has filed a
lawsuit against the city to get their proposal on the August ballot.

Andrew Cissell of the Safer Oak Park Coalition, which filed the
lawsuit last week, said the group has met all the legal requirements
to get their proposal on the next ballot.

Cissell, a 26-year-old Oak Park resident who is running for the
Michigan House from the 27th District, said he turned i n the required
number of signatures to put pot decriminalization proposal on the
August ballot in the cities of Oak Park and Hazel Park in April. But
he said the city is delaying the proposal and it may not be on the
August ballot.

"They are stalling the process and putting it (the ballot) to the
general election," Cissell said. "Personally, I think it's politics
and they are stalling on purpose."

The campaign in Oak Park has been organized by an umbrella group,
Safer Michigan Coalition, which also worked for the local marijuana
legalization efforts in Kalamazoo in 2011, Detroit, Flint and
Ypsilanti in 2012, and Lansing, Jackson and Ferndale in 2013.

Oak Park's city manager, Erik Tungate, says they are following the
legal protocols and are not doing anything discretional.

"The city's official position on the marijuana ballot initiative is
that we are following election law procedure awaiting approval of
ballot language from the State of Michigan ," said Tungate.

He said every proposal's language has to be approved by the Attorney
General's office before going to the ballot.

A similar proposal, however, will go on the August ballot in the city
of Hazel Park.
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MAP posted-by: Matt