cannabisnews.com: Ballot Title OK'd On Tax Exemption Proposal





Ballot Title OK'd On Tax Exemption Proposal
Posted by FoM on March 10, 2000 at 07:58:32 PT
By Rob Moritz, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Attorney General Mark Pryor has approved a popular name and ballot title for a proposed constitutional amendment to give a state and local sales tax exemption to retail food and certain other items.
  It would exempt some nonalcoholic beverages and all nonprescription vitamin supplements not containing alcohol, but would not exempt restaurant food sales or any beverages subject to the state soft-drink tax.  "I think this will really help people with median incomes, or the poor and people with large families," said Barry Emigh of North Little Rock, sponsor of the proposal. "I just don't think the state should be taxing food."  State law requires the attorney general to review the name and ballot title of citizen proposals for the November general election. After he certifies them as accurate and fair representations of what a measure would do, sponsors of the proposal can begin collecting signatures to get the measure on the ballot.  Emigh has until July 7 to collect 70,701 signatures of registered Arkansas voters to get the proposal on the ballot for the general election, which is Nov. 7.  Last year, Pryor refused to approve a ballot title and popular name for a similar grocery tax exemption proposal by Emigh because it was too complicated and confusing.  Emigh submitted a revised proposal. Pryor's opinion Wednesday said he had modified Emigh's wording to make it "more suitable, complete and correct."  Popular names and ballot titles also have been approved by the attorney general for several other amendments proposed by Emigh, including measures to:   Reduce the penalty for possession of marijuana and legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, even without a doctor's prescription. The amendment also would make it legal for someone using marijuana for medicinal purposes to cultivate it if it is grown "in a manner not obvious to the public sight." It also would reduce the penalty for possession of a quarter-ounce or less of marijuana to a $75 fine, and between a quarter-ounce and a half-ounce to $150 fine.   Allow communities the final vote on gambling in their area.   Allow county clerks in Arkansas to keep petitions for proposed constitutional amendments and initiated acts in their offices and to be witnesses when someone wants to sign them.   Published on Friday, March 10, 2000Copyright © 2000, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Related Articles:Medical Marijuana Activists Kick Off Drivehttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4387.shtmlPryor OKs Ballot Title For Proposal On Marijuanahttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3112.shtmlPryor Mulls 2 Proposals Making MMJ Legal http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2985.shtml 
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