HTTP/1.0 200 OK Content-Type: text/html Pot-Measure Foes Have New Voice
Pubdate: Thu, 10 Oct 2002
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright: 2002 The Sacramento Bee
Contact:  http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?162 (Nevadans for Responsible Law 
Enforcement)

POT-MEASURE FOES HAVE NEW VOICE

CARSON CITY (AP) - The chief spokesman for law enforcement groups opposing 
Nevada's marijuana legalization ballot question has been replaced after 
alleging a drug cartel link to the legalization effort.

Clark County Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker was replaced by Las Vegas 
Metro Police Sgt. Rick Barela. Barela said Tuesday there was a need to make 
one person the source of information about organized opposition to Question 
9. Now a public information officer, Barela was a patrol officer and 
handled marijuana cases.

Booker claimed at a state Board of Health meeting on Friday that a man with 
ties to South American drug cartels was financing Nevadans for Responsible 
Law Enforcement.

The organization, headed by Billy Rogers, is campaigning for passage of 
Question 9, which would amend the state Constitution and let adult Nevadans 
possess 3 ounces or less of marijuana in their homes.

Rogers demanded an apology from Booker, saying the group never would take 
donations from anyone associated with a drug cartel.

Rogers also sought an apology from Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, who 
said the source of the drug cartel information was a publication owned by 
perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche.
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