Recreational Pot Drive 2016

[t-pain]

http://www.downtownpublications.com/Articles-features-c-2016-03-31-222983.112113-Recreational-pot-drive.html

 

includes quotes from jeff hank from milegalize and timothy locke from abrogate

[t-pain]

"We have at least 100 petition sheets, 12 (signatures) a sheet. I'm going to say we have 1,500 signatures, but I don't know," said Locke of a mid-February estimate for APM, which kicked off signature gathering on January 13. "We need 22-and-a-half signatures every day, in every county, for 180 days. It sounds like a big number, and 315,000 is – it's big, but very doable. We're coming at this from a grounded, real grassroots effort. Everyone has something to offer. We're putting (rallies) out there and hoping people show up. The communication is out there, but there's no rigid structure. We're not paying anyone, we don't anticipate paying anyone," Locke said. According to their February 2016 finance report, APM raised a svelte $1,818 in total, throughout the current election cycle.

 

theres abrogate's total in february, but they have i think more than double by now.

[t-pain]

MILegalize has not let up since they began fundraising in February 2015, four months before the petition was filed with the state. The March 8 primary marked a 'The Great Petition Push' for the group, who took advantage of a day that was swarming with registered voters throughout the state. "We've unified the cannabis community for the most part; we have widespread support," said Hank, a lead player in the ballot initiative. "We've had over 600 people donate, and collected approaching 250,000 signatures. It's a well-supported effort by a lot of people," said Hank in mid-March.

 

that was mid march, i think 260,000 sigs now. hooray! now just to turn them in , probably after 10k signatures at hash bash...

[t-pain]

the article also goes into detail about sb776 and how rebuttable signatures and constitutionality of sb 776.

 

really in depth reporting , everyone should give the 10 pages of story a read!

[bobandtorey]

LANSING, MI -- A planned decision on a 180-day signature window that affects pro-marijuana and anti-fracking ballot drives was delayed Monday after State Board of Canvassers Vice-Chair Norm Shinkle rushed out of the meeting.

Currently when groups gather signatures for petition drives, those signatures are presumed to be valid for 180 days. A little-known procedure allows groups to prove that the signatures are still valid, but through a laborious process established in 1986.

MI Legalize, the group pushing to stop prosecution of marijuana offenses for those over 21, challenged that processlate last year and asked to use the electronic Qualified Voter File to verify whether signatures older than 30 days are still valid.

Proposed revisions before the Board of State Canvassers Monday would have revised procedure to establish that signatures older than 180 days were still valid, including through the use of the Qualified Voter File.

But Republican board member Colleen Pero was at a Flint-related meeting, Secretary of State Staff said, and when the other Republican Board member Norm Shinkle rushed out of the room the board was hamstringed in its consideration of any changes.

"We no longer have a quorum," said Chair Jeannette Bradshaw before adjourning the meeting.

MLive ran out of the meeting in pursuit of Shinkle, catching him on his elevator ride to the ground floor. He said he didn't have a minute because he was heading to a meeting with an important client he didn't want to lose. However, asked about the 180-day window between floors 4 and 1, Shinkle opined that the issue was in the legislature.

"The legislature's going to deal with that," Shinkle said while mistakenly getting off at the first floor. On the ride from the first floor to ground level, where the exits from the Capitol are, he added that the legislative venue was "where it should be."

The bill, Senate Bill 776, would make it so that the signatures have to be gathered in a 180-day window with no opportunity to prove they're still valid. It is pending in the House Elections Committee. House Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant, spokesman Gideon D'Assandro said there were no firm plans on timing for that bill at this point.

LuAnne Kozma of the Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan, which seeks to ban hydraulic fracturing in the state through a ballot proposal and could also benefit from showing older signatures are still valid, said she came to Monday's meeting expecting action. She thinks the legislative proposal is "just trying to stop us" and says the people who have signed deserve to be heard.

"People understand that when they sign a petition that their signature should count," Kozma said.

State Elections Director Chris Thomas said there are no meetings yet scheduled for the Board of State Canvassers where they could consider the proposal, but one may come up.

"I don't know that there's support, enough votes to pass it. I don't know that," Thomas said.

He said if SB 776 becomes law and has immediate effect he and his staff would not be making any further proposals on the subject.

Secretary of State spokesman Fred Woodhams said the board would be meeting prior to May 31 to make the August primary ballot list official. As for the ballot proposals, legislative initiatives have until June 1 to file signatures and constitutional amendments have until July 11.

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/04/member_of_state_board_flees_me.html#incart_river_home

[t-pain]

lol run out of the room. mlive caught him

[Wild Bill]

Again, Republicans working hard to thwart the will of the people.

[AmishRnot4ganja]

Again, Republicans working hard to thwart the will of the people.

 

It really seems like some Republicans do not like democracy They are jumping at the opportunity to throw up roadblocks every chance they get. I don't see how this can work out well for them in the future.

[Mpharns]

Are signatures still being collected? Where or when do I sign? I'm kind of confused to the process that's happened for the ballot.

 

Update- saw the signing link on another thread!

Edited April 27, 2016 by Mpharns

[phaquetoo]

Are signatures still being collected? Where or when do I sign? I'm kind of confused to the process that's happened for the ballot.

 

Update- saw the signing link on another thread!

Most grow shops have milegalize petitions, tobaco stores, despensarry's,

 

Ya might need to go a lil out of your way, But it will be worth it!

 

Peace

[Mpharns]

I found a regular smoke shop right down the street from me!

[Mpharns]

Signed the petion today in the smoke shop! And to those that are afraid their address may be seen, no biggie! The petition isn't kept out in the open and I hardly even had time to notice the names etc in front of mine.

[trichcycler]

One of those smoke shop chains has strong reasons to get  one of those passed I think.  saw it somewhere here, I think imi shared the list of bad guys.

[t-pain]

hope you wrote it correctly, including TODAYS DATE not your bday

[Highlander]

I don't know why people would be afraid of someone who saw their name and address on a petition. About 2/3 of Michiganders voted for MMJ. And if someone wants to steal your identity, there are plenty of ways to find a persons name and address. Most property tax records are on line now so it's easy as pie to find a name connected to an address. This kinda reminds me of seeing reality TV shows where license plates are blurred out and people who cover a license plate when advertising a car for sale. Thousands of people see your license plate every day.

[trichcycler]

Driving through Detroit I see lots of paranoid drivers. So paranoid, those cars dont even have license plates on them!

[t-pain]

Driving through Detroit I see lots of paranoid drivers. So paranoid, those cars dont even have license plates on them!

sounds like moo poo to me.

[bobandtorey]

LANSING, Mich (WLNS) – Those who want to legalize marijuana for adult usage in Michigan have until June first to complete a petition drive.

As of today the leaders says the outcome will be a “nail biter”.

The strategy to date has been to legalize grass with a town by town vote and in most cases local voters have said yes, including recently in the Capital City.

But if a statewide petition drive is successful, the legalization would be statewide as backers hope to follow in the footsteps of Colorado which is reaping millions of dollars from the legalized grass law.

Support for legalized marijuana

• In 2013, 47 percent backed the idea
• In 2014 it was 50 percent
• In March of this year, it was 53 percent

Lansing attorney Jeff Hank is one of the leaders in the petition drive where the goal is to collect more than 235,000 valid signatures and then it would appear on the statewide ballot in November of this year. Hank, however, has been quoted as saying getting that many names could be a “nail-biter.”

Matt Able, a long time marijuana advocate, reports the petition drive has about 250,000 names on hand and is shooting for 300,000 or more. “We are closing in on it,” he reports but they are not there yet. But another insider believes they only have 225,000 signatures.

Ann Arbor Democrat Representative Jeff Irwin supports the petition drive and thinks the prohibition on adult grass usage has not worked. “It’s pretty obvious that prohibition has failed. It’s costly and is contrary to our values of freedom and liberty as Americans.”

The statewide vote would not be necessary if the legislature passed the law on its own and Mr. Irwin has such a bill and has talks with the committee chair.
When asked if the chairman agreed to put the issue to a vote Mr. Irwin said no and when asked if the bill was dead he replied “there are different levels of dead.”

The pro-legalization forces have raised over $840,000 and hope to net one million dollars. We’ll know in thirty days if Michigan voters will have a chance to decide this.

http://wlns.com/2016/05/02/skubick-clock-is-ticking-for-legalization-of-marijuana-petitioners/