cannabisnews.com: Legal Pot, Health Care for All on Reform Platform 





Legal Pot, Health Care for All on Reform Platform 
Posted by FoM on October 26, 1999 at 20:32:40 PT
By Conrad deFiebre, Star Tribune
Source: Star Tribune
Broadening the Minnesota Reform Party's usual emphasis on fiscal responsibility and limited government, a proposed overhaul of its platform calls for legalized marijuana, universal health care and local control of education.
The proposed platform will be considered by the party's state convention Nov. 13 in Bloomington, where Gov. Jesse Ventura will be the keynote speaker."We'll see how the convention responds," state party chairman Rick McCluhan said Tuesday. "Some of the planks will be a slam dunk. Some will spur more contentious debate."Especially if supporters of new Reform Party member and presidential hopeful Patrick Buchanan show up to contest new planks in support of mass transit, a national identification system, health care for all and legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana."The Buchanan delegates will be shaking their heads, saying, 'What kind of party are we getting into?' " McCluhan said.Even McCluhan, in his first year as state party chairman, said he wasn't so sure about the marijuana plank. "I might support decriminalization," he said.Under Minnesota Reform Party rules, the party's endorsed candidates must pledge support of at least half of all platform planks, which must be adopted by at least a 60 percent vote of the convention. Candidates also are required to back three-quarters of so-called "cornerstone planks," those approved by three-quarters of the delegates.Current and proposed The current state Reform platform, adopted in June 1998, contains just 30 planks that fit easily on two sides of a sheet of paper. Many deal with reforming government and political campaigns and erasing the national debt.The proposed platform, drafted by a committee headed by former Reform secretary of state candidate Alan Shilepsky, has four pages and 79 planks. McCluhan, however, said he hopes the convention pares it down considerably. Shilepsky said his panel might make some "minor modifications" before the convention.Some key elements of the current platform are retained in the draft, including the party's support of labor unions and a "social safety net," plus its neutrality on abortion. And the draft still calls for campaign reforms, a balanced federal budget and limits on government spending.Some of the proposed planks reflect Ventura's support of a simpler property-tax system, mass transit, term limits and a unicameral Legislature, as well as his opposition to public financing of sports facilities and his questioning of drug laws.Other planks seem to call for big-government solutions such as providing health care for all Minnesotans and instituting "a national employment and welfare eligibility verification system to stop the trade in false IDs." There's also a plank opposing "excessive media consolidation in the TV, radio, cable, publishing and movie industries."McCluhan described that plank as "a little socialistic" and said he probably wouldn't support it.But there are also hints of the party's libertarian streak in proposals to hold parents responsible for their children's behavior in school and cut state and federal mandates on K-12 education.Governor Jesse Ventura's Web Sitehttp://www.mainserver.state.mn.us/governor/Published: Wednesday October 27, 1999 © Copyright 1999 Star Tribune
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #2 posted by Rainbow on October 27, 1999 at 06:48:53 PT:
Politicians are blind
This is great since he Gutknecht office does not think there is much support for MMJ in Minnesota.I hope they eat there words on the un-employment line :-)rainbow
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by Tom Paine on October 27, 1999 at 00:15:43 PT
GATEWOOD, JESSE VENTURA, REFORM PARTY. HEALTHCARE!
http://www.egroups.com/group/hemp-talk/6859.html?*10-99. hemp-talk. Latest GATEWOOD NEWS. REFORM PARTY. Drug War[Media & centrist THIRD PARTIES. Viable candidates, initiatives,issues, personalities. UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE. HARM REDUCTION drugreform. GLASNOST (openness) forced by election fights!]|---http://hippy.com/mccaffreylies.htm#healthcarehttp://members.tripod.com/~FOM2/index.htm#healthcarehttp://gnv.fdt.net/~jrdawson/charts.htm#healthcarehttp://homepages.go.com/homepages/m/a/r/marthag1/index.htm#healthcare
POWER LINKS. INTERNATIONAL. Saner Cannabis and Drug Policies worldwide!
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: