Pubdate: Wed, 16 Jan 2008
Source: Idaho Mountain Express (ID)
Copyright: 2008 Express Publishing, Inc
Contact:  http://www.mtexpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2296
Author: Terry Smith, Express Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

HAILEY SNUFFS OUT POT INITIATIVES

Council Votes To Amend Them Into Oblivion

They weren't killed outright, but the Hailey City Council effectively 
snuffed out three controversial marijuana reform initiatives approved 
by voters in November.

Instead of repealing the initiatives, the council voted unanimously 
Monday to amend them into meaninglessness. Since the meeting was 
running late, the members scheduled a dissection of the three 
initiatives for their next meeting on Jan. 28.

At that time, the council will consider sanitized versions of the 
initiatives prepared by City Attorney Ned Williamson, who said he'll 
take out provisions contrary to federal or state law.

All that will be left will be some sort of a "marijuana" oversight 
committee, originally intended in the initiatives as a way to work 
out the details for their implementation into law.

Council President Martha Burke said the fact that the initiatives 
passed shows that many voters want marijuana laws reformed and a 
committee would give those voters an avenue to explore those issues.

"I think an awful lot of people wanted the laws addressed," Burke said.

But Councilman Don Keirn said that forming the committee would be a 
waste of time.

"We'll have an awful lot of people doing stuff that accomplishes 
nothing," Keirn said. "Who wants to waste their time?"

With the sanitized versions of the initiatives, gone will be a 
provision that would have allowed legal smoking of pot for medicinal 
reasons, a provision that would have allowed farmers to grow hemp for 
industrial purposes and a provision that would have made enforcement 
of marijuana laws the lowest priority for the Hailey Police Department.

The three initiatives, approved by simple majority on Nov. 6, 2007, 
were put to the electorate mainly through the efforts of Ryan 
Davidson, a former Bellevue man who now lives in Garden City and is 
director of The Liberty Lobby of Idaho.

"I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed," Davidson said. "I guess 
I'll have to figure out what to do next."

An option he's considering is introducing other marijuana reform 
initiatives in Hailey. He's also looking at reform initiatives in 
Ketchum and possibly Sun Valley.

Davidson's work is part of a grassroots effort to reform state and 
federal marijuana laws.

The Hailey City Council's decision to kill the reform initiatives was 
not unexpected. Council members have shown no inclination to adopt 
the initiatives into law and instead have had attorney Williamson 
work with the Idaho Attorney General's Office to come up with 
justifications to invalidate them.

The vote was 4-0, with Burke, Keirn, Fritz Haemmerle and Mayor Rick 
Davis in agreement on the issue. Councilwoman Carol Brown declined to 
participate in either the discussion or the vote, as she has since 
the initiatives were approved by the electorate. As a U.S. Forest 
Service employee, Brown has said, she has been advised by her 
employer that she should not participate in issues that are in 
conflict with federal law.

Numerous legal issues were discussed but council members said their 
main reason for amending the initiatives was so that they wouldn't 
violate their oaths of office, wherein they swear to uphold the laws 
of the United States and the state of Idaho.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom