Lawsuit Claims Medical Marijuana Law Was Weakened by Unconstitutional “Domination and Interference” by Mormon Church

It's great living in a theocracy, ainnit, peeps?

Tantalizing morning story from the Salt Lake Tribune. Here's the lede, Peeps:

Medical cannabis advocates outraged by Monday’s passage of a Proposition 2 replacement law are suing the state, accusing the Utah Legislature of abridging the rights of voters in an effort to appease The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The complaint, not yet filed but released Wednesday by attorney and former Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson, seeks to overturn the Utah Medical Cannabis Act, the proposal pitched as a compromise between supporters and opponents of the ballot initiative.

Read up, Gentle Readers:

• Lawsuit claims medical marijuana law was weakened by unconstitutional “domination and interference” by Mormon church

Here's a short exerpt:

In a July email to TRUCE and EAU, church lobbyist Marty Stevens threatened a “long political and legislative fight" if Prop 2 architects did not compromise with the church, and promised “a ‘5-10 million dollar’ expenditure 'fighting about this initiative, which ... [would] be raised from wealthy members of the Church," the lawsuit alleges. The email indicated “a belief that Mr. Stephens and the Church wield the power to decide ‘how and when we involve elected officials, the medical association, and other community groups,’” the lawsuit states.

It's great living in a theocracy, ainnit, peeps?

Tuesday Morning 2015 Utah Legislative News Roundup

Via Utah Policy, and with three days remaing in in the 2015 Utah legislative session, here are this morning's "top eleven headlines," folks:

• Educators pack the Capitol to rally for more education funding, but it's not clear if it had any effect on lawmakers [Tribune, Deseret News].
• The medical marijuana bill falls by one vote in the Utah Senate [Tribune, Deseret News]. A poll shows 66% of Utahns would support legalizing medical cannabis [Utah Policy].
• Time is running out for the House and Senate to come to a compromise on Medicaid expansion [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune].
• The Utah House changes the rules after Democrats force a vote on Healthy Utah [Tribune].
• Utahns overwhelmingly support a hike in the gasoline tax [Utah Policy]. Lawmakers advance two competing plans to raise gasoline taxes [Deseret News].
• A proposal to send primary election results back to the parties if no candidate gets above 40% squeaks through the House [Tribune, Deseret News]. 
• Lawmakers may be mulling changing the plan to include instant runoff voting [Utah Policy].
• Most Utahns support proposed "right to die" legislation [Utah Policy].
• The Utah House rejects legislation allowing car manufacturers from owning a dealership in Utah. That means plans for a dealership in Utah are now very much in doubt [Tribune].
• Utah Senators kill an attempt to increase fines for air quality violations [Tribune].
• The Utah House unanimously approves legislation that could strip former Attorney General John Swallow's state pension [Tribune].

Don't let the cat get your tongues...