From: Carrie Lindsey [mailto:carrieblindsey@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 5:37 PM
To: boog@lawrence.ixks.com; mikeamyx515@hotmail.com; suehack@sunflower.com; dschauner@sunflower.com; mike@mikerundle.org; mwildgen@ci.lawrence.ks.us; dcorliss@ci.lawrence.ks.us; freeb@ci.lawrence.ks.us
Subject: Regular Agenda Item 5 - Ordinance No. 7938

RE: Regular Agenda Item 5 Consider adoption of Ordinance No. 7938 creating a City misdemeanor offense of marijuana possession.

Dear Mayor Highberger and Commissioners,

I am writing to express our strong support for adoption of an ordinance
banning possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the City of
Lawrence that will ensure that cases related to the first-time possession will
be handled through municipal court.

The League's national position on Equality of Opportunity states that "...the
League supports federal programs to increase the education and training
of disadvantaged people. The League supports federal efforts to prevent
and/or remove discrimination in education...."  The League of Women
Voters of Kansas has supported the repeal of provisions of the Higher
Education Act that would deny financial aid to students convicted of
marijuana possession in state and federal courts. We hold that these
provisions constitute "extra-judicial" penalties that have a
disproportionate impact on poor and middle class students as well as students of
color. At the national, state, and local levels, the League strongly
supports educational opportunities for all persons and especially for
children at risk. We believe that an ordinance creating a City misdemeanor offense

for marijuana possession will mitigate the excessive and inequitable penalties
stipulated by the provisions of the HEA and similar federal laws, and we
lend our full support to its adoption.

Thank you for you consideration of this important issue.

Sincerely,

Carrie Lindsey, President
On behalf of the Board of the League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County