Category Archives: Medical Marijuana

January 2017 Newsletter

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Electoral College Equalizes Power of Voters in All States

“Using Census data, we’ve¹ figured out that half of the United States population is clustered in just the 146 biggest counties out of over 3000. Here’s the map, with said counties shaded in. Below the map is the list¹ of all the counties,
so you can see if you live in one of them.”

Georgia Statistics: According to the latest figures available, the total population of Georgia is 9,687,653, which is almost equally divided among males (4,729,171) and females (4,958,482). The blue sections below identify the 146 most populace counties in the U.S., which includes four Georgia counties with the following residency: Fulton, 1,010,562; Gwinnett, 895,832; Cobb, 741,334; and DeKalb, 734,871. Taliaferro County has the fewest residents with 1,639.

NPV vs. Electoral College. Consider this half-and-half fact: The 146 blue counties outlined below include half of the population in the U.S. Over 2,854 gray counties are home to half of the U.S. population. The Electoral College provides voting equality for each half.

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February 15, 2016 Newsletter

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(The February 15, 2016 Newsletter content includes these topics: Sex-Neutral Public Accommodations, Hemp/Marijuana Connection, In-State Cultivation of Marijuana,Side-stepping the Electoral College with NPV, Restrooms: Privacy Rights of Students)

H.B. 849 Unisex in Public Accommodations
Separate Restrooms for Males and Females would be Illegal in Public Facilities

H.B. 849, “The Georgia Civil Rights in Public Accommodations Act,” was introduced January 27th by Representative Rich Golick, and assigned to his House Judiciary Non Civil Committee. It requires nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in any place of public accommodations. H.B. 849 was introduced, specifically, as a means to add sexual orientation as a protected civil rights status. That was done in committee when the word “sex” was added. Meaning, it will require sex neutral public accommodations in Georgia.

Exception is Ambiguous
H.B. 849 “shall not apply to a private establishment, except¹ to the extent that facilities of such private establishment perform as a place of public accommodation.”
Conversation with the author of H.B. 849: “What will you do if someone tries to amend H.B. 849 with ‘gender,’ ‘gender identity’ or ‘sexual orientation’?” His reply, “No gender, no gender identity, but I don’t know about sexual orientation.” Then he was asked, “Does sexual orientation include gender and gender ID?” He didn’t answer, but, yes, it does. Currently, 58 identifications are acknowledged sexual orientations. Some of the 58 are listed in footnote 3.
The U.N. is lobbying for five² genders; Australia’s Human Rights Commission acknowledges 23 genders; Facebook and the Australian Broadcasting Commission recognize 583 genders.

Background. In the February 8th subcommittee meeting, Representative Taylor Bennett proposed amending H.B. 849 to prohibit discrimination based on “religion, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or veteran’s status.” The subcommittee defeated that amendment 6-4, but he offered it again the next day. Then, Representative Beskin offered “sex” as a one-word amendment and it passed. Then, the full committee voted 8-5 to pass the amended bill into the Rules Committee where sex should be deleted, because its multiple genders (behaviors) have been expanded far beyond natural male/female contact.

Give this message to the Rules Committee: “Delete the word ‘sex’ from H.B. 849
or defeat the bill.” Note: See page four to learn about students’
right to privacy in restrooms, etc.

ACTION – Oppose. Call any or all on the following list and ask them to defeat the bill or remove the word “sex.” House Rules Committee Representatives Meadows, Ch., 404 656-5141; Harrell, V-Ch., 656-0254; Richard Smith, Sec., 656-6831; Abrams, 656-5058; Ballinger, 656-0254; Benton, 463-3793; Burns, 656-5052; Cooper, 656-5069; Dempsey, 463-2247; Dickson, 463-2247; Drenner, 656-0202; Ehrhart, 463-2247; Evans, 656-6372; Fleming, 656-0152; Golick, 656-5943; Greene,656-0202; Hugley, 656-5058; Jackson, 656-0314; Jan Jones, 656-5072; Knight, 656-5099; Morris, 656-5115; Parrish, 463-2247; Peake, 656-5132; Alan Powell, 463-3793; Jay Powell, 656-7855; Ramsey, 656-5024; Rice, 656-5912; Carl Rogers, 656-7855; Terry Rogers, 651-7737; Setzler, 656-7857; Sims, 656-7857; Lynn Smith, 656-7149; Smyre, 656-0116; Stephens, 656-5115; Weldon, 656-5105; Willard, 656-5125; and Al Williams, 656-6372.
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¹ Does that exception include (a) public facilities at religious events held in public buildings or (b) nonreligious events held in facilities owned and operated by religious entities?
² Male, female, asexual, transsexual, and hermaphrodite
³ Included in the 58 genders: agender, androgyne, androgynous, bigender, cisgender, cis female, cis male, gender fluid, gender nonconforming, gender questioning, gender variant, genderqueer, intersex, neither, neutrois, non-binary, pangender, transgender, trans person, transfeminine, transmasculine, transsexual, transsexual female, transsexual male, transsexual person and two-spirit.

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January 22, 2016 Radio Commentary

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The Grow-Marijuana-in-Georgia Bill

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, January 22, 2016 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Last year Representative Allen Peake got his 12-page H.B. 1 passed to legalize medical marijuana! This year he’s trying to pass his 25-page H.B. 722 that would legalize a marijuana-growing and product-selling business in Georgia.

Last year’s bill authorized the use of marijuana for eight specific medical conditions; this year’s bill more than doubles that number, to 16 conditions, plus “any other medical condition or its treatment approved by the commissioner.”

The commissioner would have until December 1st, to register as many as six Georgia medical marijuana producers and new producers could be hired every December 1st. July 1, 2017 is the target-date for producers to supply marijuana, but this bill requires distribution to patients to begin by July 1st this year. Continue reading →

January 1, 2016 Newsletter

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(The January 1, 2016 Newsletter content includes these topics: Casinos, horse racing, marijuana, new legislators)

Critical Issues Await 2016 General Assembly

Carryovers from 2015 Session

  • Bills left-over for 2016 – 438 House bills (H.B.) and 179 Senate bills (S.B.) – total 617.
  • Resolutions left-over for the 2016 session – 92 H.R. and 77 S.R. – total 169.
  • Left-over totals – 786 bills and resolutions remain alive for action in 2016.

House and Senate Action in the 2015 Session

  • Of the 955 bills introduced in the 2015 General Assembly, 706 H.B. passed and 249 S.B. passed.
  • Of those 955 bills introduced, only 12 were defeated or withdrawn.
  • Of the 1,610 resolutions introduced in 2015, 960 H.R. and 650 S.R. passed – total 1,439.
  • Governor Deal signed 239 House bills and vetoed eight House bills.
  • Governor Deal signed 62 Senate bills and vetoed three Senate bills.

The governor’s signature on a bill indicates his support, and frequently prompts a signing ceremony and photo-op for supportive citizens and organizations, as well as the bill’s author and other legislators. Legislation the governor signs may become law upon his signature, but other bills that passed become law on the up-coming July 1st or as specified in the legislation.

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