Thursday Darryl and I appeared at the state house in Concord for the Criminal Justice committee hearing of a new cannabis decriminalization bill that would reduce the penalty of possession of up to an ounce of cannabis to only a violation punishable with a $100 fine.
The committee is full of people who know this issue and are very educated about decriminalization and legalization. This bill has passed the house several times in the past, by a wide margin. Perhaps that’s why the police actually didn’t show up! Normally they show up in uniform to oppose any decrim proposal, but not this time! However a couple of state attorneys, one for the attorney general’s office and another from the “department of safety”, did show up to support the status quo and they got GRILLED by the committee:
The Keene Sentinel’s Kyle Jarvis reports on “the City” and their newfound desire to mediate with Robin Hood of Keene‘s merry men and women. Our attorney, Jon Meyer, responds that we’re not negotiating – the issues in the case are fundamental principles of freedom. They are not subject to negotiation:
Trying to settle a lawsuit out of court between the city of Keene and a group known as “Robin Hood of Keene” looks to be tough, that group’s attorney said this week.
The “Robin Hooders” fill expired parking meters before city parking enforcement officers can write tickets for the violations.
Last year, the city accused members of the group of harassing and intimidating the officers when they were performing their duties. It sought a 30-foot safety zone between the officers and activists. Keene officials also sought financial reimbursement because the officers weren’t able to perform their jobs properly; for counseling; and for costs because one of the officers quit and had to be replaced, the city said in a complaint.
Cheshire County Superior Court Judge John C. Kissinger Jr. dismissed the city’s complaints in December, citing free speech rights under the First Amendment.
City officials have appealed to the N.H. Supreme Court.
The court recommends resolution through mediation, according to Jon Meyer of Manchester, an attorney representing the Robin Hooders for free. But he’s skeptical that could be accomplished easily. (more…)
Ridley raises some controversial questions about FBI entrapment strategy and whether or not certain elements of the strategy would be justified by a nonviolent defensive organization in a stateless society. The questions are raised on the heels of an Illinois jury refusing to convict three protesters arrested prior to the 2012 NATO Summit of terrorism-related charges after manufacturing four molotov cocktails with the assistance of multiple undercover police operatives. More could certainly be said on the topic, with one of the major criticism’s of the practice’s ethics not being addressed, that of the use of deception and fraud to motivate actions of others.
While other states like CT and NY have recently passed more gun control legislation, New Hampshire’s state house today soundly defeated a proposal to ban all personal firearms sales! There really is no place like New Hampshire, where Republicans tend to vote for gay marriage and Democrats tend to vote against gun control measures! (If you love liberty, you should join the Free State Project and move here and get active!) Here’s a rundown from Examiner.com:
Today was the big vote on HB 1589, a gun control bill brought forth by House Democrats. As has been previously discussed, this bill was based on false premises, bogus studies and statistics that did not apply to the Granite State. An amendment was brought forth by Representative Laura Jones which would require a study commission be set up to further study the bill. This amendment passed with 177-175 votes.
HB 1589 was officially amended to a study commission which was then voted on by the House in an overwhelming win of 242-118, essentially killing the bill. There was a further motion to be sure the bill was sufficiently dead and buried that then passed by 244-113. This was a defining victory for the gun rights activists in New Hampshire who have been working non-stop against the out-of-state gun control advocates who wrote this bill and were pushing for its passage. (more…)
Gov. Maggie Hassan has vowed to veto legislation legalizing marijuana if it reaches her desk, but she admitted this week to first-hand knowledge of the substance.
During an interview on WMUR-TV’s Sunday morning “Close-Up” program, the governor was asked by host Josh McElveen whether she had ever tried marijuana.
“I was in college. I tried it,” she said. “But things have changed. The drug is much more potent now.” (more…)
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