Organizers of Proposal to Ban Same-Sex Unions Report $7,180 Debt

The group behind a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions ended July $7,180.12 in debt, according to a financial report filed Monday with the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

The Arkansas Marriage Amendment Committee spent $31,560 in July, including $17,000 paid to six staff members, according to the report. The committee received donations of $22,748.

But Jerry Cox, the committee's president, said Monday that the group is not in debt. The negative balance is due to reporting requirements that record expenditures when they take place, even if bills aren't paid for another 30 days.

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the Option Is to Get Clean or Go to Jail, and Many Are Finding They Can Succeed

The man, let's just call him David, walks up to the microphone, puts his hands in his front pockets and rocks back and forth on his heels as he speaks to the judge.

The judge asks about the man's work, his wife and life in general. The men laugh at David's jokes and chit-chat about his daughter needing help with her vocabulary homework.

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Drug use in the NFL has been a hot topic lately, fueled by the retirement of Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams and the release of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter.

Dan LeBatard of the Miami Herald says the public doesn't know the true story about drugs and pro football.

"Marijuana use is a lot more prevalent in football than anyone knows," LeBatard wrote. "The NFL's testing policy is a laughable scam meant to give the illusion of policing to a Puritanical public that wishes to believe what it's seeing on Sundays is pure. Nate Newton spent 14 years in the league without us hearing a word about possible marijuana use. You think his first dalliance with it was in retirement, when police found 213 pounds of it in his van?"

[end]

Dozens of people filled the university fine arts hall Friday night for the final concert of the summer jazz series.

They may have been familiar with the local rhythm section and guest musicians, but few, if any, knew about another person who helped put on the show.

Denele Campbell was in the concert hall that morning and the previous day, replacing a string and finetuning the 9-foot Steinway grand piano.

Tuning is a gig Campbell's had since having her second child in 1977. Throughout the years she has tuned pianos for the University of Arkansas, the public school system and several churches, large and small.

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LITTLE ROCK - Backers of a proposed initiative to legalize marijuana use for medical reasons in Arkansas fell more than 30,000 signatures short of placing the issue on the ballot.

The Secretary of State's office said Tuesday the Arkansas Alliance for Medical Marijuana and related organizations have 30 days to make up the shortfall, a race with the clock one leader said will be attempted.

Deputy Secretary of State Janet Miller said the petition included 29,947 signatures that were certified, but 64,456 were needed to get on the Nov. 2 ballot. The group turned in 66,282 signatures.

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The Arkansas Alliance for Medical Marijuana is planning one last push in an effort to place a medical marijuana proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels announced Tuesday the organization collected 29,947 valid signatures. Proposed Act 1 must contain 64,456 valid signees to be certified for the ballot. The alliance has until Aug. 26 to reach that number. "We think if we've got enough perseverance and do enough hard work we can collect these signatures," said Denele Campbell, executive director of the alliance. "We're going to try. That's all we can do. I want to stand here and say we're confident we're going to pull this off, but we're not confident. It's a lot of hard work."

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Secretary of State Charlie Daniels rejected Tuesday a proposed initiated act to legalize marijuana for medical use because the proponents' petition didn' t contain enough Arkansas voters' signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Daniels' announcement doesn't necessarily signal defeat for the Arkansas Alliance for Medical Marijuana, however. The group has 30 days to submit more signatures to reach the 64,456 necessary to put the issue before voters Nov. 2.

Denele Campbell of West Fork, one of the group's leaders, said supporters expected the denial and have been collecting more signatures through volunteers and a paid contractor. "I don't want to say we're optimistic or feeling comfortable that we're going to accomplish this, but we've got until [the close of business on Aug. 25]," Campbell said.

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As a former prosecuting attorney and as a cancer victim, I strongly believe that the voters should be allowed to express their opinion as to the legalization of the use of marijuana by persons with debilitating medical conditions when recommended by a physician.

Accordingly, I support the petitions requesting that an initiated act authorizing such use be placed on the ballot. And if given an opportunity, I will sign one. Furthermore, if I were physically able, I would circulate one.

Little Rock

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The secretary of state's office said Friday that it has verified more than half of the required number of signatures of registered voters to place a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions on the Nov. 2 ballot.

From Monday through Thursday, the office verified as valid 47,648 of 51,804 signatures checked so far on the petition for the proposal, said Jill Belin, director of the elections division.

To qualify for the ballot, the petition must have at least 80,570 signatures of Arkansas' registered voters.

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The Democrat-Gazette wants its news reports to be fair and accurate.

We correct all errors of fact.

If you know of an error, write: Frank Fellone Deputy Editor P.O. Box 2221 Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or call 378-3475 during business hours Monday through Friday.

An initiated act proposed by the Arkansas Alliance for Medical Marijuana would legalize marijuana's use for people with "debilitating medical conditions" who obtain a registry card from the state. The proposed act defines the eligible medical conditions as cancer, glaucoma, HIV-positive status, AIDS, or treatment for those conditions. Also included in the definition are chronic or debilitating diseases or conditions that cause one or more of the following: wasting syndrome, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, severe and persistent muscle spasms. The definition included in an article July 3 was incorrect.

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Fayetteville -- It was the right decision to continue the drive for approval of medical marijuana for people in pain, Denele Campbell said. Campbell is executive director of the Alliance for Reform of Drug Policy in Arkansas, the campaign committee that has been working to get a medical marijuana proposal on Arkansas ballots this year. The group will continue the effort, even after losing the participation of one of its coalition partners, Campbell said Monday. "When we filed this petition last fall, Marijuana Policy Projects' financial commitment to this campaign provided quite a boost to our prospects.

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The committee working for a state constitutional ban on same-sex unions overcame its immediate financial crisis but is in aggressive fund-raising mode as it continues the campaign, the group's spokesman said Thursday.

John Thomas of the Arkansas Marriage Amendment Committee said the organization was able to raise the approximately $5,100 needed by Thursday afternoon to pay employees and payroll taxes on time. On Tuesday, that sum wasn't on hand.

Thomas said the committee raised about $7,000 in two days. But he acknowledged that the surplus won't last long with an ongoing campaign and four full-time employees.

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Certainly, Larry Page is entitled to his opinions regarding the legalization of medical marijuana. But as the executive director of the Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council, he should be scolded for calling Arkansans "simple-minded Arkies."

How can someone who purports to be a spokesperson for a group of informed Arkansans communicate such disrespect to the people he represents by calling them names?

Arkansans are not simple-minded, ignorant or stupid. He seems to be implying that individuals residing in Arkansas cannot think through issues intelligently to decide for themselves what is good for the people of Arkansas.

His description of Arkansans is offensive.

Mountain Home

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After National Group Pulls Its Funding, State Backers of Ballot Drive to Push On

Arkansans who've been campaigning for years to legalize marijuana as medicine say they'll continue their attempt to put the question before voters, with or without the financial backing of an Ohio billionaire.

The national organization supporting the Arkansas Alliance for Medical Marijuana announced last week that it's pulling out of the state effort, citing the slim chances that a proposed initiative would qualify for the ballot.

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A national organization pushing for the legalization of marijuana for medical use snuffed out its effort Friday to put the issue to a vote in Arkansas.

The Marijuana Policy Project's decision, which surprised and disappointed advocates who have pushed for similar measures in the state for years, came just a week after the Arkansas Alliance for Medical Marijuana submitted just over 67,000 petition signatures asking for a vote.

For the measure to qualify for the ballot, the organization needs 64,456 signatures to be verified as those of registered voters, which supporters said seemed unlikely. "It would be a miracle if it happens," said Chloe Crater, a spokesman for the alliance. "Right now, it would not be an advantage to continue... just because it's extremely expensive, basically."

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The fellow reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a marijuana cigarette. Lighting it, he said matter-of-factly, "Would you like a joint?"

I declined. Not from fear I might be turned instantly into an incurable addict. Not because I feared being tempted to try harder drugs. Not even out of any kind of moral superiority.

The only pot I ever inhaled gave me a headache. My wife and I used to go to Sunday movie matinees and sit in the balcony, where we could smoke good ole, legal, health-destroying American tobacco. It was impossible, however, not to inhale the second-hand pot fumes from those around us imbibing in something I always had been told would totally destroy my life.

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Advocates for legalizing marijuana for medicinal use said Friday they have submitted just over the minimum number of signatures needed to put the issue to a vote of Arkansans.

Chloe Crater, a spokesman for the Arkansas Alliance for Medical Marijuana, said the group turned in about 67,000 signatures and will continue seeking more over the next few weeks to replace any that may be declared invalid.

Secretary of State Charlie Daniels must certify that the petitions contain the signatures of 64,456 registered voters for the marijuana initiative to qualify for the Nov. 2 ballot.

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The executive director of the Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council on Monday questioned the motives of a wealthy Ohio insurance tycoon who is bankrolling the drive to legalize medical marijuana.

Larry Page of Roland said he believes that Peter B. Lewis of Cleveland, chairman of Progressive Corp., really wants to legalize recreational use of marijuana and medical marijuana is the first step toward that goal.

"Is Mr. Lewis that concerned with the glaucoma patient in Marianna or the Dover resident suffering from chronic pain?" Page asked during a news conference at the state Capitol.

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The sale of cold medicines that contain essential methamphetamine ingredients should be restricted in Arkansas, following the lead of surrounding states that have controlled drug-component sales, a local prosecutor told a congressional subcommittee this week. David Gibbons of Clarksville, the prosecuting attorney for the Fifth Judicial District, said over-the-counter cold medication containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine should be distributed by pharmacists rather than from store shelves, a move that would likely reduce drug makers' access to the substances. Those components are major ingredients used to manufacture methamphetamine, the most-used illegal drug in Arkansas. Gibbons was testifying before the House Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources in Bentonville Monday, as one of a handful of experts in the tracking of methamphetamine production and use invited to testify during the four-hour hearing. Congressman Mark Souder of Indiana, the chairman of the subcommittee, hosted the hearing Monday, along with U.S. Rep. John Boozman, Arkansas' 3rd District representative. Boozman said Souder has acknowledged that Arkansas has a significant methamphetamine problem.

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Group Filed Months After Receiving $172,000 for Medical Marijuana Measure

A committee promoting a proposed medical marijuana ballot measure registered with the Arkansas Ethics Commission several months after the committee received a $172,000 contribution from a billionaire in Cleveland, Ohio.

On June 11, the Arkansas Coalition for Compassionate Care registered with the Ethics Commission as a ballot question committee and filed monthly reports for the period from Sept. 1, 2003, through May 31.

The reports showed that billionaire Peter B. Lewis of Cleveland contributed $172,000 to the coalition on Oct. 15, 2003.

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