More voting irregularities in Florida
On August 9, Leon County Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho certified that his office had received enough valid charter amendment petitions to place the Practical Law Enforcement Amendment (PLEA) on the November 2 ballot. What should have followed was a lively public debate over the proposed amendment, which would make enforcing marijuana possession penalties the lowest priority of Tallahassee law enforcement.
Instead, the certification sparked an effort by City Attorney James R. English and the City Commission to disenfranchise the thousands of Tallahassee voters who signed the petitions. On Friday, August 20, English filed an injunctive relief against Tallahasseans for Practical Law Enforcement (TPLE)—the group organizing the petition drive—seeking judgment on whether the city must place the initiative on the ballot. Later that day, the City Commission removed the PLEA from that night's meeting agenda, effectively silencing any opposing arguments from the community. TPLE is now awaiting the decision of the Leon County Second Circuit Court.
TPLE needs your help now more than ever. While awaiting the ruling, TPLE is taking its case to the media and pressuring the City Commission to abide by the will of Tallahassee voters. Please take a moment to write a letter-to-the-editor about how the city is circumventing the law and disenfranchising every Tallahassee voter who signed the PLEA petitions.
You can also e-mail your mayor and city commissioners. Their contact information is provided below, along with instructions on how to submit a letter-to-the-editor in the local press. Please be polite, professional, and stick to the central issue: respecting the will of the voters.
City officials
Mayor John Marks
The Honorable Andrew Gillum
The Honorable Debbie Lightsey
The Honorable Allen Katz
The Honorable Mark Mustian
Local newspapers
Tallahassee Democrat
Capitol Outlook Online Forum
FSView
Click here to learn more about the PLEA and TPLE.
Please forward this message on to your circle of friends and family so that the Tallahassee city government knows that it cannot easily ignore the will of Tallahassee voters. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project.
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