ALBUQUERQUE VOTERS COULD STILL GET TO DECIDE IF THE CITY SHOULD CHANGE ITS LAW TO DECRIMINALIZE POSSESSING SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA. PROGRESS NOW NEW MEXICO AND OTHER GROUPS COLLECTED MORE THAN 16-THOUSAND PETITION SIGNATURES IN AN EFFORT TO PUT THE QUESTION ON THE BALLOT, AND TURNED THOSE IN LAST WEEKEND. BUT INTERIM CITY CLERK TRINA GURULE LATER ADMITTED THAT THE 11-THOUSAND 203 SIGNATURES SHE INITIALLY TOLD THE GROUPS THEY NEEDED WAS MISCALCULATED. THEY WERE THEN TOLD THEY NEEDED 14-THOUSAND-218 VALID SIGNATURES.
OUR NEWS PARTNER, KOB-TV,REPORTS COUNCILOR REY GARDUNO IS EXPECTED TO INTRODUCE A PROPOSITION AT MONDAY NIGHT'S COUNCIL MEETING THAT WOULD PUT THE QUESTION ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER. THE PROPOSAL CALLS FOR CUTTING PENALTIES FROM 50 DOLLARS TO 25 DOLLARS AND FROM 15 DAYS OF JAIL TIME TO NO TIME IN JAIL.
