Latest news with #constitutional amendment
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Campaign to legalize cannabis in Oklahoma will start collecting signatures in August
The latest effort to relax marijuana laws in Oklahoma has passed a critical procedural hurdle, and the campaign will begin collecting signatures to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. State Question 837 would ask voters to let adults 21 years of age or older buy marijuana without a medical marijuana license. Registered Oklahoma voters can begin signing the petition when it goes live on Aug. 6. Signatures must be turned in to the state by Nov. 4. Current state law only allows residents to purchase and possess marijuana if they have a medical marijuana patient license. If the state question becomes law, anyone could walk into a dispensary and make a purchase if they are at least 21 years old. Adults under 21 would need a medical marijuana license from the state to purchase cannabis under the proposed framework. Cannabis petition cleared to collect signatures The organizer of the SQ 837 campaign is Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA). The group recently got confirmation from the Oklahoma secretary of state's office that there were no constitutional challenges to the petition. After a state question is first presented to officials, Oklahoma law gives residents 90 days to challenge it on constitutional grounds. Because there was no challenge, ORCA can begin collecting the required number of signatures to put it in front of voters. "Our group's already kind of a statewide organization, so we've been working on getting everyone rowing in the same direction," said ORCA Director Jed Green. If the signature-gathering campaign is successful, SQ 837 could appear on the ballot as early as June 2026 or as late as November that same year during the statewide general election. Supporters will have to gather at least 172,993 verified signatures of registered Oklahoma voters to place it on the ballot. This signature-gathering campaign will be more difficult than others in previous years, however. During the 2025 legislative session, state lawmakers approved a law that limits the number of initiative petition signatures that can be collected from a single county. Senate Bill 1027 has since been challenged in the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which has not yet issued a ruling. "We don't have a lot of concern as a grassroots organization complying with some of the aspects of 1027," Green told The Oklahoman. "We've already got folks on the ground in 55 counties right now. We've got over 300 retail businesses already signed up to help us circulate." Green said this is the best time of year for signature gathering because of all the high-turnout events across Oklahoma like fairs and sporting events. The new signature requirements, however, will force ORCA to rely more on support in smaller, more rural counties. That includes Harmon County in far southwestern Oklahoma, where Green said he can only sign up a few dozen voters before reaching the limit. "Maybe we'll go and hang out at the co-op for a day or go to the county courthouse, I don't know," he said. "Voters of Harmon County, only 117 of you are allowed to sign this so get ready, we'll come out and visit." What does Oklahoma's State Question 837 do? If it becomes part of Oklahoma's Constitution, SQ 837 would open marijuana sales to any adult who is at least 21 years old, regardless of their medical status or state of residence. These purchases would be taxed at 10%, along with the usual state, county or local sales taxes. The amendment wouldn't abolish the medical marijuana system, however. People who keep their medical patient status would be exempt from paying the 10% marijuana excise tax, which is currently set at 7%. The amendment also would ensure that law enforcement cannot presume someone's impairment or intoxication based solely on the use of marijuana or presence of THC in their system. Sales to the public would begin 60 days after passage, and home delivery would be authorized after six months. Oklahoma has considered 'recreational' marijuana before In 2023, voters rejected State Question 820, which would have created a separate recreational marijuana market for licensed adults who are at least 21 years old. Over 61% of voters rejected the proposal, which was criticized by some law enforcement, religious leaders and public school administrators in the closing weeks of the campaign as a step too far. ORCA, the organizer of SQ 837, opposed that earlier campaign because of what Green described as a faulty framework that could be easily altered or even reversed by state lawmakers during a legislative session. Because SQ 837 would be written into the Oklahoma Constitution, any further changes would be much more difficult without another statewide vote. Oklahoma voters first approved medical marijuana in 2018. Marijuana's legal status could change on the federal level, too. In 2022, President Joe Biden triggered a review of marijuana's classification as a controlled drug. Two top agencies eventually recommended it be reclassified from Schedule I to Schedule III, but the process was temporarily halted when Donald Trump returned to the White House. Trump has previously indicated support for looser marijuana laws in his home state of Florida, but the issue hasn't been a federal priority during his first six months in office. His pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Agency, however, was only confirmed July 22. New DEA Administrator Terrance Cole has said one of his first priorities would be to review marijuana's reclassification, although he did not indicate which way he would lean. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Oklahoma advances Solve the daily Crossword
Reuters
17-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Brazil's Senate approves main text of new rules on court-ordered debt in first vote
SAO PAULO, July 16 (Reuters) - Brazil's Senate on Wednesday approved in a first vote a constitutional amendment to change how the government accounts for court-ordered debt payments starting in 2027, potentially helping it meet fiscal target once considered unattainable. Under the approved text, these payments - the result of court rulings against the government - must be gradually included in the fiscal target calculation each year from 2027 onward, starting with at least 10% of the estimated total. Senators approved the main text in the initial vote on Tuesday evening, with a second round still required before it could become law, as the measure was already cleared by the lower house. However, Senate President Davi Alcolumbre said the final vote will only take place after Congress returns from recess, which starts later this week and will last through the end of July.
Free Malaysia Today
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
PKR man slams Latheefa over judicial appointment remarks
Lawyers for Liberty adviser Latheefa Koya said yesterday that the proposed constitutional amendment bill could be brought and passed in the upcoming Parliament session. PETALING JAYA : A PKR division chief has slammed Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) adviser Latheefa Koya over her call for the government to urgently table a constitutional amendment bill to strip the prime minister and the executive of all influence in the appointment of judges. Batu PKR chief Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi said it was ironic that the proposal came from someone who was 'abruptly' appointed as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief during Dr Mahathir Mohamad's second term as prime minister. 'Perhaps she has forgotten that the power and prerogative of a prime minister, which she is now urging to be removed, was the very same power used to appoint her as MACC chief commissioner. 'When she was appointed as MACC chief, why did she not call for Mahathir to remove his powers and/or influence over judicial or even MACC appointments? Was it because that power benefited certain parties at the time?' Asheeq said in a statement. Malaysiakini yesterday reported Latheefa as saying that the proposed constitutional amendment bill could be brought and passed in the Parliament session commencing in a few weeks' time. She also described the alleged leak of minutes from a recent Judicial Appointments Commission meeting as 'the greatest judicial scandal in history'. Asheeq however said that the documents had yet to be authenticated, let alone the allegations within them. 'Nevertheless, Latheefa was quick to describe it as the greatest scandal in history.' He added that the judiciary had faced 'real serious crises in the past', citing the 1988 crisis which saw the dismissal of then-lord president Salleh Abbas by the Mahathir-led administration. Asheeq also cited the 2007 judicial crisis, where a secretly recorded video was released showing lawyer VK Lingam allegedly brokering the appointment and promotion of judges in a phone conversation with a senior judge. A royal commission of inquiry had recommended action against certain individuals, including Mahathir. 'These scandals were the real judicial scandals that shook public trust and institutional integrity. Yet, Latheefa appears to have forgotten them, possibly because they implicate Mahathir. 'Latheefa should refrain from issuing populist statements, especially when she herself previously benefited from the very system of power that she now criticises,' Asheeq said.
Associated Press
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Cambodian lawmakers pass constitutional amendment allowing government to revoke citizenship
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian lawmakers passed a constitutional amendment that would allow the government to draft legislation seeking to revoke the citizenship of anyone found guilty of conspiring with foreign nations to harm the national interest. The 125 members of National Assembly unanimously passed the proposal Friday and legally amended Article 33 of Cambodia's constitution, enabling the government to immediately draw up a bill allowing citizenships to be stripped for the first time. The latest legal move by supporters of Prime Minister Hun Manet was viewed by critics as a way to suppress internal dissent and eliminate policital opponents of his administration and the ruling Cambodian People's Party. The change would apply to lifelong Cambodian citizens, people with dual citizenship in Cambodia and another nation and people from other countries who have been granted Cambodian citizenship. Some government critics and opposition politicians are known to have dual citizenship. Justice Minister Koeut Rith said government officials will urgently draft a bill to revoke the citizenship of any individual found guilty of treason or collaborating with foreign entities to seriously harm the interests of Cambodia and its people. He claimed some Cambodians have colluded with a foreign country to harm their nation's interests. The comment appeared to be a reference to a May 28 confrontation between the armed forces of Cambodia and Thailand in which one Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small, contested area on the border. Thailand's Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office earlier this month pending an ethics investigation over a leaked phone call about the border dispute with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, the influential former prime minister and father of Hun Manet. The leaked phone call set off political turmoil in Thailand as Paetongtarn faces growing dissatisfaction over her handling of the conflict. Last month Cambodia submitted an official request to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to resolve the ongoing border dispute involving several ancient temple sites. The consitutional amendment in Cambodia comes after Hun Sen last week called for the Ministry of Justice to explore legal avenues in response to frequent government criticism by opposition figures. Hun Sen and Hun Manet both said the legal change was necessary, comparing it to similar laws in several other countries. Speaking to villagers and government officials last week in northern Kampong Thom province, Hun Manet claimed that among nearly 200 United Nations member states, 150 countries have laws allowing citizenship revocation, including the United States. 'Please don't be concerned if you are a patriot and do not oppose the interest of country. But if you have conspired with foreign powers to destroy Cambodia then, yes, it is true you should be worried, and in such case you are not a Cambodian.' Hun Manet said. 'No true patriot would ever plot with foreign powers to destroy their nation.' Amnesty International said it was deeply concerned the Cambodian government will use the 'repressive amendment' to render its critics stateless. 'Judicial independence is key to safeguarding people's rights including the right to nationality and reversing a culture of impunity. This has enabled the government's authoritarian practices to continue unchecked, such as its persecution of opposition leaders, activists and independent journalists,' Regional Research Director Montse Ferrer said in a statement. Former opposition leader Sam Rainsy was one of those named by Hun Sen as making comments detrimental to the nation. Rainsy for decades has been a harsh critic and one of the most popular opponents of the Cambodian People's Party, which fueled Hun Sen's rise to power. Rainsy has been in exile since 2016 to avoid serving prison sentences on defamation, treason and other charges, which his supporters consider politically motivated. Rainsy said recent comments by Hun Sen about the border dispute with Thailand were not patriotism but a personal and political reaction rooted in fear and panic over the potential collapse of a regime deeply entangled with international criminal networks. 'Hun Sen's anti Thai rhetoric is nothing more than a political smokescreen. While he presents the dispute as one of historical grievance and national dignity, the real motive behind his indignation is Thailand's concerted effort to dismantle Chines-run cyber-scam operations based in border areas — operations that have become a vital source of illicit funding for the current Phnom Penh regime,' Rainsy said in a June 28 online post.
Arab News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
No discussion to oust Zardari, promote Pakistan military chief to presidency
KARACHI: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday dismissed rumors that President Asif Ali Zardari is being pushed out of office or that army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is eyeing the presidency, reiterating that there had been no discussion about such a change. Media chatter about a possible constitutional amendment to replace President Zardari with someone else, potentially even the army chief, has gained traction in recent days. However, key political figures have swiftly rejected the notion. 'We are fully aware of who is behind the malicious campaign targeting President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the Chief of Army Staff,' Naqvi said in a post on X. 'I have categorically stated that there has been no discussion, nor does any such idea exist, about the President being asked to resign or the COAS aspiring to assume the presidency.' The president maintains a 'strong and respectful' relationship with the military leadership, Naqvi said, adding that the army chief's 'sole focus' was on Pakistan's strength and stability. He warned those pushing this narrative in coordination with 'hostile foreign agencies' to continue as they wished but vowed that the government would do 'whatever is necessary to make Pakistan strong again, InshAllah.' On Tuesday, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) echoed Naqvi's rebuke, with PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari calling the rumors 'baseless' and noting that the country's federal government could not function without the PPP's support. 'Zardari is the duly elected president of this country, and this system cannot function without him,' Bukhari said, dismissing the allegations as 'uninformed and misleading.' Irfan Siddiqui, a close aide to Prime Minister Sharif and a former senator, has also rejected the speculation, saying, 'No such suggestion is under consideration at any level.'
