Pubdate: Thu, 06 May 2004
Source: Las Vegas Mercury (NV)
Copyright: 2004 Las Vegas Mercury
Contact:  http://www.lasvegasmercury.com/
Author: Andrew Kiraly
Cited: Marijuana Policy Project http://www.mpp.org
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/marijuana+initiative
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/walters.htm (Walters, John)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?163 (Question 9 (NV))

PRO-POT FORCES HAVE EYE ON COURT RULING

You know the pro-pot forces are serious when they start busting out the 
Latin legal stuff.

That's what the Marijuana Policy Project did last week when it filed a writ 
of mandamus with the Nevada Supreme Court in its ongoing battle to uncover 
federal drug czar John Walter's campaign expense reports.

In plain English: The MPP wants the court to apply a little pressure in the 
case. Ever since Walters made a stop in the state in 2002 to lobby against 
a failed ballot initiative that would have decriminalized possession of 
small amounts of pot, the MPP has charged that Walters was campaigning--and 
thus should follow state law and file an expense report.

Since then, the MPP has been nipping at the drug czar's heels.

It pressured Secretary of State Dean Heller to go after him; Heller asked 
the attorney general for an opinion.

The AG ended up agreeing with the drug czar's attorney that he's immune 
from Nevada election law. Now the MPP hopes the Supreme Court will compel 
Heller to make Walters file an expense report.

"We expect to hear from the Supreme Court in June," says MPP spokesman 
Bruce Mirken. "If we win, they'll issue a writ essentially telling the 
secretary of state to enforce Nevada's campaign finance laws." And if 
Walters still refuses?

There could be a fine, Mirken says. It's just one more front to the MPP's 
ongoing work; earlier this year it started a new petition to let voters 
decide whether to legalize possession of up to one ounce of pot. But 
Walters is still in their sights. "Nothing we are doing says he can't 
campaign, that he can't express his views," Mirken says. "But we do think 
all the cards should be on the table. If someone comes in and tries to 
influence an election, people have a right to know what he's doing and what 
he's spending to do it." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake