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Supporters of a proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Arkansas turned in thousands of petitions Thursday to try to get on the November ballot, while others are waiting until Friday's deadline to submit their proposal signatures.
Arkansans for Compassionate Care, the group backing the proposed marijuana act, submitted 11,000 pages of petitions that they say have 67,885 signatures. Initiated acts need at least 62,507 signatures from registered voters to appear on the ballot.
The group was the first of six backing ballot measures to submit signatures ahead of Friday's deadline. The secretary of state's office will spend the next few days making an initial rough count, and then has 30 days to verify the signatures.
"We worked a long time for today," said Melissa Fults, treasurer of Arkansans for Compassionate Care, which dropped off more than a dozen boxes at the Capitol late Thursday afternoon.
The secretary of state's office will conduct the initial rough count to make sure the group turned in enough signatures before verifying that they're from registered voters.
If Arkansans for Compassionate Care falls short after the verification process, it'll have 30 more days to gather additional signatures. Groups that fall short during the initial rough count won't have additional time to gather signatures.
Ryan Denham, the campaign's director, said supporters were planning on the likelihood that some of their signatures will be thrown out during the verification process.
"Ultimately, we'd definitely like to get another 40,000 to 50,000 signatures," Denham said.
Others backing initiative proposals were waiting until the deadline to submit petitions. Sheffield Nelson, a former natural gas executive, said he planned to turn in petitions Friday afternoon for his proposal to raise the severance tax on natural gas to pay for road improvements.
The proposed tax hike has faced opposition from a big-dollar and high-profile campaign led by the natural gas industry, which has spent more than $1.2 million on efforts to fight it, including direct mailings and radio and newspaper advertisements. Many of the state's top politicians have also publicly opposed the initiative.
Nelson's campaign said it will turn in more than 70,000 signatures, and he said he's already preparing for a costly fight if the measure makes it on the ballot.
"I'm expecting that we'll have a tough campaign," Nelson said. "I anticipated It from Day One."
Supporters of two separate proposed amendments that would bring casinos to Arkansas also said they planned to submit their petitions Friday. Proposed constitutional amendments must have at least 78,133 signatures from registered voters.
Nancy Todd, who is backing a bid to bring casinos to Crittenden, Franklin, Miller and Pulaski counties, said Thursday her group had more than 70,000 signatures and was out gathering more.
"It's a counting game," she said. "We're just going to keep plugging ahead."
The other casino amendment, spearheaded by Michael Wasserman, would put casinos in Boone, Crittenden, Garland, Jefferson, Miller, Pulaski and Sebastian counties. Wasserman said Thursday that he had about 77,000 signatures, but more were coming in.
Less certain is the future of an ethics initiative that had been buoyed in recent weeks by bipartisan endorsements, including chairmen of the state's Democratic and Republican parties.
The proposal would ban lobbyist gifts to legislators, as well as corporate and union contributions to individual candidates. It would also double to two years the time a legislator has to be out of office before becoming a lobbyist.
Brent Bumpers, co-chairman of the Better Ethics Now Committee, said he was unsure whether the proposal would have the 62,507 signatures needed. The committee and the Regnat Populus Committee were both gathering signatures.
"It's a real nerve-racking position, but we have reason to be optimistic," Bumpers said.
The spokesman for another proposed constitutional amendment – which would reduce a conservation sales tax from 1/8 cent to 1/14 cent and remove the Game and Fish Commission from agencies that benefit from the tax – did not return a call Thursday.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: sfgate.com
Author: Andrew DeMillo
Contact: Contacts at San Francisco Chronicle - SFGate
Website: Ark. medical marijuana backers submit petitions - SFGate
Arkansans for Compassionate Care, the group backing the proposed marijuana act, submitted 11,000 pages of petitions that they say have 67,885 signatures. Initiated acts need at least 62,507 signatures from registered voters to appear on the ballot.
The group was the first of six backing ballot measures to submit signatures ahead of Friday's deadline. The secretary of state's office will spend the next few days making an initial rough count, and then has 30 days to verify the signatures.
"We worked a long time for today," said Melissa Fults, treasurer of Arkansans for Compassionate Care, which dropped off more than a dozen boxes at the Capitol late Thursday afternoon.
The secretary of state's office will conduct the initial rough count to make sure the group turned in enough signatures before verifying that they're from registered voters.
If Arkansans for Compassionate Care falls short after the verification process, it'll have 30 more days to gather additional signatures. Groups that fall short during the initial rough count won't have additional time to gather signatures.
Ryan Denham, the campaign's director, said supporters were planning on the likelihood that some of their signatures will be thrown out during the verification process.
"Ultimately, we'd definitely like to get another 40,000 to 50,000 signatures," Denham said.
Others backing initiative proposals were waiting until the deadline to submit petitions. Sheffield Nelson, a former natural gas executive, said he planned to turn in petitions Friday afternoon for his proposal to raise the severance tax on natural gas to pay for road improvements.
The proposed tax hike has faced opposition from a big-dollar and high-profile campaign led by the natural gas industry, which has spent more than $1.2 million on efforts to fight it, including direct mailings and radio and newspaper advertisements. Many of the state's top politicians have also publicly opposed the initiative.
Nelson's campaign said it will turn in more than 70,000 signatures, and he said he's already preparing for a costly fight if the measure makes it on the ballot.
"I'm expecting that we'll have a tough campaign," Nelson said. "I anticipated It from Day One."
Supporters of two separate proposed amendments that would bring casinos to Arkansas also said they planned to submit their petitions Friday. Proposed constitutional amendments must have at least 78,133 signatures from registered voters.
Nancy Todd, who is backing a bid to bring casinos to Crittenden, Franklin, Miller and Pulaski counties, said Thursday her group had more than 70,000 signatures and was out gathering more.
"It's a counting game," she said. "We're just going to keep plugging ahead."
The other casino amendment, spearheaded by Michael Wasserman, would put casinos in Boone, Crittenden, Garland, Jefferson, Miller, Pulaski and Sebastian counties. Wasserman said Thursday that he had about 77,000 signatures, but more were coming in.
Less certain is the future of an ethics initiative that had been buoyed in recent weeks by bipartisan endorsements, including chairmen of the state's Democratic and Republican parties.
The proposal would ban lobbyist gifts to legislators, as well as corporate and union contributions to individual candidates. It would also double to two years the time a legislator has to be out of office before becoming a lobbyist.
Brent Bumpers, co-chairman of the Better Ethics Now Committee, said he was unsure whether the proposal would have the 62,507 signatures needed. The committee and the Regnat Populus Committee were both gathering signatures.
"It's a real nerve-racking position, but we have reason to be optimistic," Bumpers said.
The spokesman for another proposed constitutional amendment – which would reduce a conservation sales tax from 1/8 cent to 1/14 cent and remove the Game and Fish Commission from agencies that benefit from the tax – did not return a call Thursday.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: sfgate.com
Author: Andrew DeMillo
Contact: Contacts at San Francisco Chronicle - SFGate
Website: Ark. medical marijuana backers submit petitions - SFGate
