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| GOP Convention To Nominate Candidates Today |
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Posted by FoM on March 16, 2002 at 15:17:20 PT By Barry Massey, The Associated Press Source: Santa Fe New Mexican 
Gov. Gary Johnson says a proposed change in the state Republican Party platform won't stop him from advocating an overhaul of drug laws, including legalizing marijuana.Republicans will vote today on revisions to the party platform at a preprimary nominating convention in Socorro. Delegates also will decide which candidates for governor, Congress and other offices will receive automatic places on the June 4 primary-election ballot. A proposed change in the platform is aimed at the governor's drug-policy agenda and GOP chairman John Dendahl's support for it. If the platform plank on "controlled substances" is adopted, Republicans will go on record in opposition to legalizing or decriminalizing drugs, including marijuana. Johnson has advocated legalizing the medical use of marijuana and decriminalizing the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana, which would treat it like a traffic violation that's subject to a civil fine but no jail time or arrest. Johnson said he didn't consider the platform change a slap at him personally. "Everybody is so fearful about doing anything other than the status quo. In an election, I just see this as part of that whole phobia about not getting a vote because you might - what I would term - speak the truth on these issues," Johnson said earlier this week. Dendahl said he didn't expect a big fight at the convention over the anti-drug platform change. The state GOP platform is silent on the subject of legalizing drugs. A platform committee has recommended the changes. Initially, the proposed document expressed opposition to drug legalization, but this week the panel agreed to expand that to include decriminalization. Frank Gorham III of Albuquerque, who helped form a group to oppose the governor's drug-law proposals during the Legislature, lobbied for the broader statement against easing drug laws. "Our goal is to basically have the state Republican Party adopt a platform and then require that party officials publicly adhere to that position," Gorham said Friday. Candidates are free to stake out their own positions on drugs and other issues, he said. But Gorham said, "Dendahl should not, in his capacity as party chairman, advocate a position on controlled substances contrary to the state-party platform." Dendahl has come under heavy fire from some Republicans for backing the governor's drug policies. However, Dendahl won re-election last year by defeating one of the sharpest critics of the governor's stance on drugs, Rep. Ron Godbey of Albuquerque. Godbey said he didn't expect Johnson to be silenced by the platform change. "I don't think whatever we say will keep him quiet on the issue. He's leaving office and not bound by it," Godbey said. But Dendahl should be held to a different standard, he said. "As chairman of the party, I believe he is morally bound to support verbatim the party platform. Now whether or not he will do that remains to be seen," Godbey said. Source: Santa Fe New Mexican (NM) Related Articles: Drug Debate Might Hurt The Buzz at GOP Party Anti-Drug Efforts Might Be Helping Terrorists Governor, Teens Discuss Drug Issues Johnson Hints That Drug Reform Will Be His Career Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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