From the complaint prepared by Rocky Anderson on behalf of TRUCE, the Epilepsy Association of Utah and others…
“’In … direct contravention of the expressed will of the People, … the Legislature, at the behest of the [Latter Day Saint] Church and as a result of the Church’s domination and interference, voted to dramatically undermine core purposes of Proposition 2 and the Initiative statute by radically amending, and essentially replacing, the Initiative statute with the passage of [the Utah Medical Cannabis Act], which deprives, reduces, and unreasonably burdens access to medical cannabis.’
The lawsuit also claims the new medical cannabis law violates voters’ constitutional right to legislate by ballot initiative.
‘For many years, the Utah Legislature has demonstrated contempt for citizens’ initiatives,’ the lawsuit states, accusing the legislature of placing ‘onerous limitations’ on citizens who try to get initiatives placed on the ballot. Only two ballot initiatives passed in the 40 years from 1977 to 2017 — and the legislature overturned one of them, the lawsuit states.
During the special session, legislators claimed ‘the prerogative to decide policy for the state, irrespective of law created through a citizens’ initiative,’ the lawsuit alleges. The suit points to remarks by Rep. Merrill Nelson, R-Grantsville who said: “We have the right to override what the people do by initiative.”
The state constitution ‘prohibits the Utah Legislature from materially undermining, by repeal or amendment, the core purposes of legislation passed through the initiative process,’ the lawsuit argues.”
Indeed.
Much more in the article….
#TRUCE: Fighting for patients…
…and remember, all of us are no more than an injury, a rogue gene or pathogen away from being a patient.
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