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[Courtesy of The Sentencing Project] National: Advocate's Efforts Featured in National Press The voter education efforts of the Rev. Kenneth Glasgow in Alabama were featured in the New York Times. As founder of The Ordinary People's Society, Rev. Glasgow has spent several years working to restore voting rights for individuals with felony convictions in Alabama, where an estimated 250,000 people are prohibited from voting. If the disenfranchisement laws were reformed, "there would be a lot of difference in our legislators, our elected officials and our presidents that we've had," the Rev. Glasgow stated. "It would definitely change the political spectrum of Alabama." The article further stated that severe restrictions are imposed on formerly incarcerated citizens in the South dating back to antiquated Jim Crow laws. Alabama's Republican attorney general, Troy King, has proposed a constitutional amendment that would ban all citizens with felony offenses from voting. - - - - - - Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today. Contact Information -- e-mail: [email protected], web: http://www.sentencingproject.org

[Courtesy of LEAP] ‘Worthless’ information worth a head snap in DC: NOTE: since I began delivering newspapers at the age of 11, I have been a voracious reader. My head is filled with facts I have never used (like knowing algebra). Then one day…… Having lunch in the Senate restaurant, yet another conversation started with ‘nice hat.’ The gentleman and I began my most interesting conversation in nearly two years in DC. He has worked the corridors of power for 39 years and was a consummate pro (like the guy in Thank You for Smoking great movie, BTW {see dialog at bottom}) He was telling me about law enforcement costs for cities & counties, explaining there were a few places that combined the two governments which made the stats a bit fuzzy. “You mean a city like Indianapolis?” I enquired. You could see his eyebrows go up, upon hearing my question. “Exactly like Indianapolis” he replied and then gave a few more examples. Call me crazy but I believe he began to take me more seriously. (NOTE: this is/was reasonable..there are always a few wingnuts in the building {at the FBI Senate oversight hearing there were two women dressed head to toe in pink, holding pink signs, etc.}) He said we might work together. ‘Give me the best example of how your ideas have reduced the costs to county jails and hospitals, while not increasing criminal justice problems.’ he said. “I’ll get right on it.” I replied. We concluded our chat and went our separate ways. I immediately called my friends at DPA (Drug Policy Alliance) & they are in the process of getting me the example. This guy (& I believe him) regularly meets with actual Senators and Congressmen, not staffers like me. I am excited. Could be a medium step, here. Cross your fingers, hold your thumbs. Fortune favors the bold. Dialog: Preface: I was arguing against federal money used to hire local cops to arrest local criminals. The lobbyist was being paid to get that extra half billion fed money for local sheriffs’ departments. Him: ‘What county are you from in Texas?’ Me: ‘Tarrant County’ So you have dual citizenship. Tarrant County and United States Citizen, right? Right. Local funds support should support law enforcement, to protect you as a resident of Tarrant County, right? Right. And federal funds should support law enforcement to protect you as a US citizen, right? Right. So, you should support federal funds going to your local sheriff’s department, right? Me: “Rrrrrr rrrrr wrong. Fed money should support the FBI which assists local police. Wow. You are good!” Him: He chuckled and we moved on to other topics.

[Courtesy of LEAP] AMBUSHED! The following dialog occurred between the Russell Senate Building and the Union train station. The names have NOT been changed to protect the guilty. Unknown white male about 40: “Nice Boots.” Howard: “Thank you. All the way from Texas” Unknown: I have a pair of Stewart’s and I am real happy with them. Howard: These are Tony Llama & still going strong after 10 years Unknown: You from Texas? Howard: Yes sir, Fort Worth, where the West begins. Unknown: What brings you here? Howard: I am here to change the world. You? Unknown: What part of the world you want to change? (notice he did not answer my question) Howard: end the drug war & drug prohibition..nothing serious, nothing too big. Unknown: How is it going? Howard: Blah, blah, blah…..For instance I attended Senator Biden’s hearing last week to end the 100:1 ratio of crack to powder. It was nice but he loves the drug war. He is just doesn’t get it. Unknown: How would you do it? Howard: As a starting point for discussion, I would give the 10 illegal drugs the same rules & restrictions as whiskey and cigarettes. Kevin: Hmmm. I probably should tell you my name is Kevin & I work for Senator Biden out the office of the judiciary committee. (Note: Biden is the chairman of the crime subcommittee) Howard: (sucking in deep breath, trying to remember if I directly insulted the gentleman from Delaware), Howard Wooldridge from LEAP. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. Nice to meet you. Kevin: I have enjoyed our chat. Your viewpoint is interesting. Howard: good. Next recess I’ll give you a call and set up a short meeting. Kevin: okay Anatomy of a Congressional hearing or how I work one minute a day and get paid: On Wednesday Senator Biden’s Senate subcommittee on crime held a hearing on giving local police a half billion dollars to arrest drug dealers. I took the usual 7:17 train into DC. I walked to the Dirksen building where the hearing would be held and drank my giant coffee while I read the Washington Times (I read the Post on the train). From 10 to 11:30 I did work I had brought with me + answer a few new emails using my Blackberry. After lunch I got in the line outside of Room 226, promptly at noon. Taking a chair out of a pile in the phone booth, I sat down and worked another 2 hours using my laptop computer. (I expected a packed room. Indeed, a dozen chiefs of police were eventually left standing up or in the hallway.) When the doors opened just before two, I was the first one in and grabbed the best seat to be seen by the Senators. 4 Senators testified + one guy from the White House, followed by 3 police officers. Every one tooted their horn & how great their agency is, even as they said the sky was falling for the lack of fed money. Senator Chambliss of Georgia said the cut from 12 to 4 million fed dollars would allow gangs to nearly take over the state. Harkins of Iowa said about the same thing, as did Feinstein of California and Feingold of Wisconsin. ‘The sky is falling. The sky is falling’ echoed in the room for two hours. NOTE: I desperately wanted to say that if the situation is so dire, couldn’t the state of Georgia with a 15 billion dollar budget find the missing 8 million, rather than face a state controlled by gangs? When Senator Biden banged the gavel to end the session, I moved quickly to where he was shaking the hand of the police commissioner of Philadelphia. Waiting politely, we made eye contact, we shook hands and I said, ‘Senator Biden. As a police detective I agree with you that a good 60% of crime is caused by the drug war. You expressed a great desire to reduce crime. Have you ever considered the easiest way to dramatically cut crime would be to end the drug war, this new prohibition?’ “What do you mean?” He asked. I replied, ‘The same as our grandparents did in 1933. End prohibition and make the drugs legal, regulated and taxed. Having a 14 y/o die selling drugs because the policy gives him that job option has to be immoral, don’t you think?’ He blinked. ‘Yes, it is. I gave a speech on that a while back. Give me your card and I will have my office send it to you.’ I handed him my card, saying “thank you.” Leaving the hearing room, I went straight to his office where I spoke to the receptionist. She said she would double make sure I received the speech. As the train dropped me back off at 7:03 PM, my ‘one minute of real work’ day came to a close. Small steps...

[Courtesy of Ruth's Hemp Foods]   This week marks the 10th anniversary since Canada's Industrial Hemp Regulations came into effect. On March 12, 1998, about 100 people gathered in Tillsonburg, Ontario with great excitement to hear our former Minister of Health, Allan Rock, make the announcement, formalizing what we had been working towards for several years previous. We've come a long way. Starting at just 264 licensed acres in 1998, a high point was reached in 2006 at over 48,000 acres. And the players have changed as well - very few of the faces in that room are still involved, and many new ones have appeared. Now to grow hemp in the US... see below for a delicious way to support American farmers. To celebrate the birthday of the modern hemp industry, we're taking 20% off of all our products! Shop at www.ruthshempfoods.com, and at check-out, code in Happy 10 to receive the discount. It will be good until March 22. In Hemp and Health, Ruth VoteHemp bar Support the right of American farmers to grow hemp! Despite the fact that most Canadian hemp is now sold in the US, it is not legal to grow in that country... yet! Read about the struggle to legalize commercial hemp at www.VoteHemp.com. And here's a delicious way to support VoteHemp: buy the VoteHemp bar - we donate 20% of the profits of this bar to VoteHemp. Scroll to the bottom of this page http://www.ruthshempfoods.com/hempbars.html to buy the VoteHemp bar.