State Legislature's Judiciary Committee advances pot bill

The state legislature continues its in-person, maskless session at the Capitol Building. As a group, they are a tempting target for criticism because most of them are GOP knuckleheads of the Trump and QAnon variety. If given half a chance, they would storm their own capitol just because they could. Many bill themselves as Libertarians, some even represent the Libertarian Party. That causes some unusual behavior. They voted a marijuana bill out of committee so the entire chamber can get into the fray. Both Dems and Repubs and Tarians have been known to smoke pot. But they too are growing tired of driving all of the way to Fort Collins to stock up on supplies. They also know that Colorado and other legal states are raking in the dough via steep reefer taxes and they think they might want to horn in on the action. Early estimates for a 30 percent pot tax show that the state could get $47 million in income the first year. That could take a chunk out of the current $500-million plus deficit caused by the decline of coal and the energy severance taxes it provides. If toking coal could have the same impact on the budget as it does heating up the atmosphere, the lege would approve its immediate use. 

But the bill has a long way to go before Grandma can get her hands on some Chugwater Kush or North Platte Knockout. But she may be the first one in line at the dispensary. Senior citizens have shown a real yen for pot legalization. Friends who worked on the recent Wyoming medical marijuana campaign said that the age group most eager to sign the petitions were 60-plus. The reasons are obvious. Nostalgia for all of those heady days in their teens and twenties is a part of it. When Colorado legalized weed, pot tourism, especially with Boomers, became a thing in Denver. It may not be as big now as more states have legalized it. But it may.

More importantly, pain relief. Old people such as myself have pains they treat with Aleve, and, in chronic pain situations, opioids. Seniors have traded in their poisonous Percocet prescriptions for a bag of chronic, some mint-flavored gummies, or even six packs of cannabis craft beer. Unlike our twenty-something offspring, we are less likely to get high and into our cars for quests to find the perfect munchies. We are retired and just stocked up on snacks at Albertson's Senior Discount Day on the first Thursday of every month (don't forget those e-coupons). We can settle into our Lift chairs, get high, and ask Alexa to play Dark Side of the Moon over and over and over again. 

The lege might stun us by legalizing marijuana. More than likely, they will defeat the bill and form an interim committee to study hot pot topics: Will legal pot turn our children into liberals? Will it make our athletes kneel for the national anthem? Will it attract hordes of BLM and antifa activists who will invade the capitol and, instead of breaking windows with flags or smearing shit on walls, will get everyone high and try to levitate the building? Important questions that need much mulling over.

What comes next after the Jan. 6 coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol?

We witnessed a coup attempt Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol Building.

Trump and his goons incited other goons to storm the Capitol and disrupt the approval of electoral college votes. They ended up trashing the place and killing a policeman. The mayhem delayed the counting of the votes until 3 in the morning on Jan. 7.

My daughter watched some of that day's CNN reports with me. She asked questions and I had no answers. 

She left for school and my mind wandered. I had attended two Vietnam War protests in D.C., in 1970 and 1971. D.C. Police were everywhere. At the May Day 1971 protests, promoted as "Days of Rage," President Nixon called in the National Guard and 82nd Airborne. Helicopters filled the air. Buses were lined up in a cordon around the White House. Federal drug enforcement undercover cops tried to blend in with the crowd, ready to bust pot smokers but there were too many of us so they just studied the freaks and took detailed notes.

These were the preparations for a bunch of longhairs. We were angry but unarmed. Would some have rushed the White House or Capitol and trashed those places? Maybe. They were angry about Vietnam. But were we prepared to interfere with a lawful election? Hell no. Many young men were angry when Nixon was elected in 1968 and 1972. We knew that it meant more Vietnam and a continuation, possibly forever, of the military draft. Most of us were there for peaceful protest.

Some Days of Rage protesters disrupted traffic and blocked the employee entrance to the U.S. Justice Department and engaged in various other acts of civil disobedience.

The police and military were more than ready for them. May 3 ended up being the biggest arrest cache ever in D.C. The jails overflowed and officials had to corral the longhairs at RFK Stadium (football season was long over). 

Where were these duly-appointed guardians of our democratic republic on Jan. 6, 2021? Nowhere to be seen. Until later in the day, after the worst was over.

This was an inside job and just the beginning of an old-fashioned coup. Are we ready for the next attack that may come on Jan. 17 or possibly Inauguration Day? 

We better be.

UW College of Law hosts marriage equality panel discussion March 31

From Jeran Artery, Wyoming Unites for Marriage and chairman of Wyoming Equality:

On Monday, the Advocates & Allies club at the University of Wyoming School of Law is hosting “Marriage Equality Local – Regional – Global” which is sure to be a great conversation about marriage in Wyoming, around the country and around the world. 

What: Panel Conversation – Marriage Equality Local – Regional – Global
When: Monday, March 31 at 7 p.m.
Where: University of Wyoming College of Law – Room: Law 186
Who: You! And a great panel featuring Sara Eisenberg, Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco; Jaime Huling, Attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights; and me, Jeran Artery, Chairman of Wyoming Equality

Join us for what promises to be a great conversation about marriage. Bring your ideas and your questions about the effort to move marriage forward here in Wyoming and about the broader movement to ensure that all loving, committed couples everywhere have the freedom to marry.

Click here to RSVP and let us know you’ll be there!

We’re committed to moving marriage forward in Wyoming by sharing stories of why marriage matters to all families. Together, we can stand up and make our voice heard to ensure that someday soon Wyoming lives up to its motto as the Equality State!

Hope to see you there!

It may take Courage v. Wyoming to get our state to live up to its "Equality State" brand

Here at hummingbirdminds, we spell "clout" with a lower-case "c." But we want to throw our support to the lawsuit filed this week to force Wyoming to acknowledge gay marriage. The lawsuit couldn't have a better title -- Courage v. Wyoming. That's Courage as in Cora Courage, one of the plaintiffs from Evanston. She happens to be a major in the Army Reserve, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, clinical director at the Wyoming State Hospital and a lesbian. Since 2009, she's been married to Wyoma "Nonie" Proffit, a part-time librarian and sheepherder. The other couples in the lawsuit deserve to be named because they represent courage too: Carl Oleson and Rob Johnston, Casper; Anne Guzzo and Bonnie Robinson, Laramie; and Ivan Williams and Chuck Killion, Cheyenne.

Carl Oleson and Rob Johnston of Casper, Anne Guzzo and Bonnie Robinson of Laramie, and Ivan Williams and Chuck Killion of Cheyenne. - See more at: http://wyofile.com/wyofile-2/sex-couples-wyoming-equality-file-marriage-lawsuit/#sthash.r6BLdx6u.EEGaMMQz.dpuf

Carl Oleson and Rob Johnston of Casper, Anne Guzzo and Bonnie Robinson of Laramie, and Ivan Williams and Chuck Killion of Cheyenne. - See more at: http://wyofile.com/wyofile-2/sex-couples-wyoming-equality-file-marriage-lawsuit/#sthash.r6BLdx6u.EEGaMMQz.dpuf

Cora Courage and Wyoma “Nonie” Proffit of Evanston, Carl Oleson and Rob Johnston of Casper, Anne Guzzo and Bonnie Robinson of Laramie, and Ivan Williams and Chuck Killion of Cheyenne. - See more at: http://wyofile.com/wyofile-2/sex-couples-wyoming-equality-file-marriage-lawsuit/#sthash.r6BLdx6u.pv4Q1niY.dpuf

Wyoming Equality is also part of the lawsuit.

It's no surprise that this case arises at the tail end of the most recent legislative session. Marriage equality bills haven't fared well in the Legislature. Last year, the first marriage equality bill (this one on domestic partnerships) to ever make it out of committee was defeated in the House while gathering a surprising number of Republican votes. The debate, broadcast on radio, was very instructive. I wrote about it here.

This year, a bill sponsored by Rep. Cathy Connolly (D-Laramie) to include same-sex couples in the state’s definition of marriage failed to get enough votes to be introduced.

Clearly, it's time to turn to the courts. The courts have been ruling against discrimination of late, so it seems to be the right time for a lawsuit.

Said Jeran Artery, executive director of Wyoming Equality:

“Wyoming has a proud history of being the 'Equality State' and its refusal to allow same-sex couples to marry is contrary to the core values of our state. The couples in this case, and all same-sex couples in Wyoming, deserve to be treated with equal fairness and respect, including having the same freedom to marry that others enjoy.”

Well said, Jeran Artery, who grew up in rural Wyoming and knows the territory. 

See more on wyofile and Wy Pols and WY ACLU

Cora Courage and Nonie Proffit
Cora Courage and Nonie Proffit, of Evanston, have been together for over nine years and were married in Iowa in 2009. Cora is the Clinical Director at the state psychiatric hospital and a Major in the Army Reserve. Nonie is a part-time librarian and sheepherder for their family’s ranch.
Carl Oleson & Rob Johnston
Carl Oleson and Rob Johnston, of Casper, have been together for sixteen years and were married in Canada in July 2010. Carl manages a retail store and Rob is the program director for Project ReGain, which teaches skills to people who are recovering from addiction.
Anne Guzzo & Bonnie Robinson
Anne Guzzo and Bonnie Robinson have been together for four years and reside in Laramie. Anne is a professor of music composition and theory at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Bonnie is a property manager. On February 27, 2014, they applied for a marriage license at the Laramie County Clerk’s Office in Cheyenne and were rejected because they are a same-sex couple.
Ivan Williams & Chuck Killion
Ivan Williams and Chuck Killion have been together for nearly two years and reside in Cheyenne. Ivan is an attorney. Chuck is a comptroller at a local construction and development company. On February 27, 2014, they applied for a marriage license at the Laramie County Clerk’s Office in Cheyenne and were rejected because they are a same-sex couple. The County Clerk later asked the First Judicial District Court in Cheyenne to determine whether she was obligated to reject the couples’ applications for marriage
- See more at: http://wyofile.com/wyofile-2/sex-couples-wyoming-equality-file-marriage-lawsuit/#sthash.r6BLdx6u.onzF4i89.dpuf

Cora Courage and Nonie Proffit
Cora Courage and Nonie Proffit, of Evanston, have been together for over nine years and were married in Iowa in 2009. Cora is the Clinical Director at the state psychiatric hospital and a Major in the Army Reserve. Nonie is a part-time librarian and sheepherder for their family’s ranch.
Carl Oleson & Rob Johnston
Carl Oleson and Rob Johnston, of Casper, have been together for sixteen years and were married in Canada in July 2010. Carl manages a retail store and Rob is the program director for Project ReGain, which teaches skills to people who are recovering from addiction.
Anne Guzzo & Bonnie Robinson
Anne Guzzo and Bonnie Robinson have been together for four years and reside in Laramie. Anne is a professor of music composition and theory at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Bonnie is a property manager. On February 27, 2014, they applied for a marriage license at the Laramie County Clerk’s Office in Cheyenne and were rejected because they are a same-sex couple.
Ivan Williams & Chuck Killion
Ivan Williams and Chuck Killion have been together for nearly two years and reside in Cheyenne. Ivan is an attorney. Chuck is a comptroller at a local construction and development company. On February 27, 2014, they applied for a marriage license at the Laramie County Clerk’s Office in Cheyenne and were rejected because they are a same-sex couple. The County Clerk later asked the First Judicial District Court in Cheyenne to determine whether she was obligated to reject the couples’ applications for marriage
- See more at: http://wyofile.com/wyofile-2/sex-couples-wyoming-equality-file-marriage-lawsuit/#sthash.r6BLdx6u.onzF4i89.dpuf

Let's help "The Equality State" live up to its name

Wyoming Equality issued a press release as soon as the Supreme Court rulings hit the news today. While Wyoming, "The Equality State," the big square state with the most lopsided legislature in the USA, may be one of the last to legislate in favor of marriage equality, there are all sorts of possible strategies to move the process along. WE Chairman Jeran Artery did a good job of outlining some of those in today's press release. I particularly liked his summation:

Today’s victory adds momentum to the work to win marriage equality in Wyoming, which will continue through legislative action and litigation, where necessary. We will continue to work with national organizations such as Freedom to Marry, HRC, National Center for Lesbian Rights, PFLAG, Gill Action and others until Wyoming lives up to her name as “The Equality State.”

Repeat after me: "The Equality State." Let's make that moniker a reality.

Rep. Filer speaks out about HB79: "I believe that this legislation wages war on every employee in Wyoming"

The Wyoming Democratic Party's legislative update from yesterday contained more info about Rep. Tim Stubson's HB79. I wrote about this bill on Feb. 5 -- read the post here. This anti-worker bill passed the House and will be considered soon by the Senate. Here's more from the WDP's legislative update:

HB 79 Collection of Unpaid Wages: This is an example of legislation that is worded to imply the opposite of what the law would actually do. The bill amends Wyoming statute to exclude any accrued vacation wages from owed wages at termination if the employer states in writing that is their policy. Representative Lee Filer spoke out against this legislation stating "I believe this is legislation that wages war on every employee in Wyoming." It's currently on General File in the Senate. The Wyoming Democratic Party strongly opposes this bill. 

Progressive Wyoming lawmakers can now look to ALICE for model legislation

ShockandAwed reports on Daily Kos that there's a new group working to provide a progressive counterweight to the ultra-conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. The American Legislative and Issue Campaign Exchange, or ALICE, has a web site that provides model laws that move us FORWARD instead of backward. The recent election showed that most Americans are much more interested in moving ahead than moving back into a  past where women were in the kitchen, people of color were out in the fields, working people were forced to shop at the company store and children were yoked to the assembly line (or hauling coal out of underground mines). Read the rest of ShockandAwed's article here. Meanwhile, keep on eye out for ALEC-sponsored legislation in our upcoming Wyoming Legislature. You will know it by its retro conservative POV. For some of my previous posts on ALEC in Wyoming, go here and here. Read the DKos article here.

9th U.S. Court of Appeals reinstates Montana's campaign donation limits

Good news from Huff Post Politics:

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated Montana's campaign donation limits, telling the federal judge who struck down the limits that the panel needs to see his full reasoning so it can review the case.

The court intervened late Tuesday less than a week after the judge's decision opened the door to unlimited money in state elections – during the height of election season.

Read all about it at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/montana-campaign-donation-limits_n_1954591.html

Casper Star-Trib: Randall Terry halts illegal Wyoming robo-calls

Wyoming Secretary of State's office warns Randall Terry to halt illegal robo-calls. He complies (with a few snarky comments). Read story and comments in today's Casper Star-Tribune: http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/presidential-candidate-randall-terry-halts-illegal-robocalls-in-wyoming/article_d0a34664-b1a9-56d7-973b-ef63b48ba0ee.html