Voter Power Foundation

Happy International Workers' Day!

Solidarity Forever Provided to YouTube by CDBabySolidarity Forever · Utah PhillipsWe Have Fed You All a Thousand Years℗ 1983 Utah PhillipsReleased on: 1983-01-01Auto-generated ...

From the article:
For years, Oregon has not provided defense attorneys to everyone who needs them. As of Friday, more than 3,200 people did not have a public defender, according to the Oregon Judicial Department. Of those, some 146 people were in custody, though the actual number of people affected by Friday’s ruling will be fewer.

A draft report from March found that Oregon needs 500 additional attorneys to meet its obligations. State officials have taken steps to address the issue, including providing additional funding, but structural issues remain. Some changes are underway, including hiring the first trial-level public defenders who are also state employees. Also, next year, the Oregon Public Defense Commission will move from the judiciary to the executive branch under the governor. Lawmakers say they’re hoping the move will give the agency more support.

The ruling upholds a preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane last year. The case arose out of Washington County, where 10 people held at the county jail, charged with crimes — but who were not appointed attorneys — filed a class action habeas corpus petition through Oregon’s federal public defender’s office.

Appellate court affirms ruling, releasing defendants from jail who don’t get public defender In a 2-1 decision, the appeals court called Oregon’s public defense system a “Sixth Amendment nightmare,” referencing the part of the U.S. Constitution that requires the state to provide defense attorneys to those it charges with crimes if they cannot afford a lawyer.

On Century of Lies this week: Oregon starts to address racial profiling and also moves to de-felonize simple drug possession; plus we talk with Kate Gonsalves from the Oregon Justice Resource Center about their new guidebook for organizing for reform and ending mass incarceration.
http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/6370

Drug Truth Network Drug Truth Network based in Houston at Pacifica's KPFT has more than 90 broadcast affiliates dedicated to exposing the fraud and wastefulness of the war on drugs.

RT : Buehler to feds: Hands off Oregon ma*****na http://www.bendbulletin.com/home/5097504-151/buehler-to-feds-hands-off-oregon-ma*****na #.WLN0_a14jFY.twitter

Buehler to feds: Hands off Oregon ma*****na State Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, in a prepared statement Friday said federal authorities need to back off any intent to tamper with legal ma*****na in Oregon.“I hope the new President and Attorney General keep their hands off Oregon’s ma*****na law,” Buehler stated in a news release. “They should r...

OR Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, please join your WA counterpart and stand up for Oregon's ma*****na programs! http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/ma*****na/washington-state-will-resist-federal-crackdown-on-legal-w**d-ag-ferguson-says/

Washington state will resist federal crackdown on legal w**d, AG Ferguson says Washington’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Gov. Jay Inslee have vowed to defend the state’s legal ma*****na law against a federal crackdown suggested Thursday by the White House.

Oregon flags potential problem with popular pesticide used on ma*****na The state on Friday issued a bulletin "out of an abundance of caution" alerting cannabis growers to a potential labeling problem with a popular mite spray and advising them not to use the product and retailers not to sell it "until further notice."

Oregon liquor commission told to limit ma*****na edibles, ban home delivery services More than 130 people, including drug abuse prevention experts, doctors, public health officials, and representatives of Oregon's ma*****na industry, packed into an Oregon Liquor Control Commission hearing to vent broad concerns about ma*****na legalization and press for changes to draft regulations…

Congratulations, ! Limited legal adult retail sale of ma*****na begins today. Activists have been working for more than three decades to make this possible. For all your hard work, we salute you!
The state of Oregon has a website where you can find all the information you need regarding that state's new ma*****na laws, including where people over age 21 can purchase ma*****na and where it can be consumed. It's at:
http://www.oregon.gov/olcc/ma*****na/pages/default.aspx
Most of the state's registered medical dispensaries that have opted into the adult use retail program are listed there.
And remember: for the most up-to-date information on all drugs and drug control policies, check out DrugWarFacts.org.
Knowledge is power. Stay informed. Get the facts.

State of Oregon: Recreational Ma*****na Oregon's recreational ma*****na laws are in effect. That means adults age 21 and older can legally possess and use recreational ma*****na...but there are limits. It's important to know what's legal and what's not.

Fmr. Baltimore officer: If Martin O'Malley comes back, 'you may see a riot' Andrea Mitchell talks with former Baltimore police officer Neill Franklin about the police response to unrest in the city, and what the relationship between the police and community has historically been.

Oregon Medical Ma*****na Call To Action – Senate Bill 844 I received the following call to action from a very hardworking Oregon activists named Lori Duckworth (thanks Lori!), and I encourage all Oregon readers to participate: The Measure 91 Committee is starting to consider amendments that will severely impact the Oregon Medical Ma*****na Act. These...

It's the new Drug Policy Facts podcast! This week, we look at the states of Oregon and Washington as they move to implement their legal recreational adult ma*****na use programs - and try to balance the interests of patients with the desire to maximize revenues.

Drug Policy Facts #55 - Drug Policy Facts | podcast garden Drug Policy Facts #55: This week: We look at the states of Washington and Oregon as they move to implement their legal adult recreational ma*****na programs. | Drug Policy Facts

Do the math:
According to the CDC, excessive alcohol use costs the state of Oregon more than $2.8 billion a year.
http://www.cdc.gov/features/costsofdrinking/
According to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, alcohol revenue brings in a bit over $200 million a year.
http://www.oregon.gov/OLCC/pages/allocation_of_liquor_revenue.aspx
State legislators need to sober up, take a hard look at the numbers, raise the alcohol tax, and pass laws allowing local governments to impose additional alcohol taxes.

CDC Features - The High Cost of Excessive Drinking to States A new study finds that excessive alcohol use cost states a median of $2.9 billion in 2006, or about $1.91 per drink. Find out how much excessive alcohol use costs where you live.