Pubdate: Thu, 27 Apr 2000
Source: Spokesman-Review (WA)
Copyright: 2000 Cowles Publishing Company
Contact:  P.O. Box 2160 Spokane, WA 99210
Fax:  (509) 459-5482
Website: http://www.spokesmanreview.com/
Forum: http://cg.zip2.com/spokane/scripts/community.dll?ep1
Author; Alison Boggs

NIC TRUSTEES WON'T BUST MARIJUANA CLUB

College Board Calls Legally Formed Club's Goals Protected Speech

Coeur d'Alene _ North Idaho College trustees made it clear Wednesday that 
they will not interfere with a new student club formed to promote the 
legalization of marijuana.

"This is protected speech," board Chairwoman Barbara Chamberlain said. "It 
won't come to the board as an action item."

The board asked college president Michael Burke to draft a response to a 
letter the Coeur d'Alene City Council sent this week. The letter said that 
the city has worked hard to educate youth about the dangers of drug abuse, 
and that the new club contradicts those efforts.

Chamberlain said that it is not the board's place to put down a legally 
formed club. The trustees have confirmed that position with their attorney, 
she said.

Burke said news reports about the club's formation have prompted phone 
calls from concerned parents of students. Burke stressed that the student 
code clearly prohibits the sale, possession and consumption of drugs or 
alcohol on campus.

Also, Burke said, the club's goal is to change a law in the state of Idaho, 
not to advocate drug use.

The club plans to develop an initiative for the November 2002 ballot that 
would ask voters to legalize marijuana and industrial hemp. Club officers 
originally planned to develop the ballot initiative for this year's 
election, but realized Wednesday that it would be too late for the April 30 
deadline.

Placing an initiative on the ballot requires gathering signatures statewide 
amounting to 6 percent of registered voters in the previous general 
election. Half of the state's 44 counties have to be represented.

"We can start gathering signatures now," said club President Dan Sheckler. 
"We can still do work toward our goal. I suspect we're going to need more 
time than we had thought."

Burke pointed out that the club's constitution includes a statement that 
members will abide by all state and federal laws. Though some may see the 
club's formation as "tax dollars gone awry," Burke said, the only funds the 
club is eligible for are student fee monies, not property tax dollars.

"That is not part of our tax support," Burke said.

Some board members of the college's fund-raising foundation have expressed 
concern about the club's impact on NIC's image, said Steve Schenk, 
executive director of the NIC Foundation.

"It's always going to be a controversial issue," Schenk said. "A lot of 
people misunderstand this and think taxpayer money has been used toward 
this effort and that's not the case.

"Whether we agree or disagree, they have the right to do this."
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart