From: NORML California <[canor m l] at [igc.apc.org]>
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs
Date: 01 Jul 94 22:12 PDT
Subject: Cal Falls for "Smoke A Joint, Lose

CALIFORNIA SENATE COMMITTEE CLEARS WAY FOR "SMOKE A JOINT, 
LOSE YOUR LICENSE";   NORML CALLS FOR STATEWIDE RESISTANCE  
      Sacramento, June 28: The California Senate Judiciary Committee 
caved in  to Gov. Wilson's bid to override California's marijuana 
decriminalization  law by passing a "Smoke a Joint, Lose Your 
License" bill, AB 79x, which    would impose a mandatory, six-month 
driver's license suspension for all    drug offenses, regardless of 
whether they are driving related. 
        Meanwhile, the legislature also appears likely to pass AB 3148, 
which would forfeit vehicles driven by owners driving with a 
suspended license. AB 3148, which is being heard Tuesday, July 5th 
in the Senate Judiciary    Committee, has already passed the 
Assembly by a lopsided margin, making SMOKE A JOINT, LOSE YOUR 
CAR a real possibility.  
      In a late night vote, the Committee passed AB 79x by a single 
vote, after  two usually staunch liberals, Sen. Nick Petris of Oakland 
and Sen. Diane Watson of LA,    switched from "nay" to "aye," yielding 
to fiscal blackmail by Gov. Wilson,  who was holding $54 million in 
federal highway aid hostage for its passage. The committee 
action virtually assures that "Smoke A Joint, Lose Your    License" 
will become California law sometime this summer.
       Under federal law, states have until Oct. 1st to either enact or 
specifically  opt out of mandatory license suspensions, on pain of 
losing federal highway    funds. Two years ago, the legislature 
unanimously passed a bill to opt out of    "Smoke a Joint, Lose Your 
License," but Gov. Wilson vetoed it, demanding   instead a full 
license suspension law.   
      In a compromise with Democrats, AB 79X was amended with a 
one-year    sunset clause to expire in December 1995. In addition, 
language was added    allowing judges to make exceptions in cases 
of compelling circumstances, and    urging Congress to repeal the 
federal law (which Gov. Wilson strongly    supported as a Senator).  
Proponents of AB 79x conceded that "Smoke A Joint, Lose Your 
License"  was unfair, but argued it was necessary to obtain 
highway aid. Opponents, including NORML, the ACLU, the Teamsters 
and the Service    Employees International Union, argued that it was 
unnecessary as well as unfair, given the opt-out alternative. 29 
other states, including every state west of Texas, have already 
passed opt-out resolutions. 
      California NORML criticized AB 79x as a gratuitous attack on the 
state's marijuana decriminalization law that would cost the state 
millions in additional enforcement costs by bringing minor 
marijuana offenders into court to defend their licenses. 
      California NORML is calling on marijuana users across the state 
to resist the new law by all means appropriate, including legal 
challenges, jury trials, and public protest. California NORML 
coordinator Dale Gieringer stated, "This law strips California's 
marijuana laws of any pretense of justice. It   punishes harmless, 
off-the-road use of marijuana more harshly than drunkenness or 
reckless driving, even though the latest research by the National    
Highway Transportation Administration shows that marijuana is 
clearly safer than alcohol on the road.
      Persons interested in organizing resistance to "Smoke a Joint, 
Lose Your  License" are invited to contact California NORML at (415) 
563-5858.