Pubdate: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 Source: Duluth News-Tribune (MN) Copyright: 1999 Duluth News-Tribune Contact: 424 W. First St., Duluth, MN 55802 Website: http://www.duluthnews.com/ Forum: http://krwebx.infi.net/webxmulti/cgi-bin/WebX?duluth Author: Patrick Sweeney, Saint Paul Pioneer Press REFORM TO SET POLICIES AT STATE CONVENTION Members of Minnesota's Reform Party will meet Saturday to vote on a dramatic series of internal policy changes aimed partly at protecting the party from a takeover by supporters of conservative presidential candidate Pat Buchanan. At the convention in Bloomington, party delegates will consider setting new, tougher standards for who can be a delegate to the national Reform Party's nominating convention next summer. Another proposed rule change would give the state party's 20-member executive committee authority to divorce the Minnesota party from the national organization. Other controversial issues facing delegates Saturday include: Endorsing the legalization of marijuana. Changing the state party's name from the Reform Party of Minnesota to the Independent Reform Party of Minnesota. Stripping veteran state party activist Cedric Scofield of his leadership positions because he voted for California, rather than Minnesota, as the site for the national convention. The convention, which will feature a keynote address by Gov. Jesse Ventura at 9 a.m. and a straw poll on potential presidential nominees, has been planned for months as a platform-setting exercise. But the convention assumed new importance because of a split in the national party last summer between people attracted to Ventura and those loyal to Ross Perot, the Texas billionaire who was the party's 1992 and 1996 presidential candidate. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake