Groups Seek Results of Marijuana Vote

The D.C. chapter of the League of Women Voters and eight other area organizations filed court papers this week calling for a judge to release and uphold the results of the Nov. 3 referendum on the medical use of marijuana.

The groups sided with the American Civil Liberties Union and the D.C. government, which contend that Congress illegally interfered with the local election process. At issue is a congressional amendment that bars the District from spending money on any initiative that would "legalize or otherwise reduce" penalties for users of marijuana.

D.C. officials have not released results of the marijuana vote, saying that the amendment prevents them from spending money to do so. Along with the ACLU, they are asking U.S. District Judge Richard W. Roberts to set aside the congressional action and let results be made public and take effect.

The organizations opposing the congressional amendment include: the D.C. Democratic State Committee; the D.C. Statehood Party; the Metropolitan Washington Council of the AFL-CIO; the D.C. Chapter of the Republican National African-American Council; the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance; the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club; the Libertarian National Committee; and the Greater Washington chapter of Americans for Democratic Action.

The Justice Department, which agreed to represent Congress, filed its own set of court papers asking Roberts to dismiss the lawsuit.

Late Activist Honored for AIDS Day

The D.C. Council passed a resolution yesterday honoring Steve Michael, the founder of the local chapter of ACT-UP, an AIDS activist group, who died in May.

David Catania (R-At Large), who introduced the resolution, said it was fitting on World AIDS Day to honor the activist. Michael, who had AIDS, was also a leader in home rule demonstrations and launched the petition drive that succeeded in getting a medical marijuana initiative on the Nov. 3 ballot, although Congress passed a law forbidding the District to fund the provision.

Wayne Turner, Michael's partner, said in remarks before the council that the "best way to honor the dead is to fight for the living," and he urged the council to support measures to slow the spread of AIDS.

Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company

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