POLL: Maryland Democrats & Republicans Divided on Pot Legalization, Gun Control, Immigration & Marriage Equality

Goucher College released a new poll last week highlighting Marylanders' opinions on a range of issues including marijuana, marriage equality, gun control and immigration reform. Below you can see the results of the poll, including breakdowns by political party affiliation and race. I've flagged a few of the more interesting results below.

STATEWIDE SUMMARY: The major items in Goucher's statewide poll reveal that:

• 72% of Marylanders think marriage equality either changed things for the better or had no effect, while only 23% think it changed things for the worse. 

• On gun control, 54.5% of voters think the new gun regulations were about right or not strict enough, while only 26.6% think they were too strict. 

• On immigration, 53.4% of Marylanders support allowing undocumented immigrants to keep their jobs and apply for citizenship, while only 25.9% think we should kick undocumented immigrants out of their jobs and the country. 

• On the War on Drugs, 50.9% of Marylanders support or strongly support marijuana legalization, whereas 40.3% of residents oppose or strongly oppose legalization. 

• But on the issue of whether jail time is an appropriate penalty for marijuana possession, only 5.8% of Marylanders support criminalizing marijuana. In contrast, 82.6% of residents support changing the penalty for possession to a ticket or rehab.

DEMOCRATS & REPUBLICANS DIVIDED ON MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION, GUN CONTROL, IMMIGRATION AND MARRIAGE EQUALITY - When you consider that Maryland is effectively a one-party state (where most high-profile races are won in the Democratic Primary), it becomes useful to take the statewide polling numbers above with a grain of salt. Indeed, when you restrict the survey results to only Democrats or Republicans, the results shift quite a bit and reveal partisan divides on these hot-button issues.

A strong majority of Democrats, Independents and third party residents support marijuana legalization, whereas Republicans were the only group where respondents were more likely to oppose than to support legalization. But even still, nearly 2 in 5 Republicans support legalization (aka almost half). On immigration, a super-majority of Democrats support allowing undocumented immigrants to stay and seek citizenship, but Republicans were divided with 39% seeking to kick them out, and 31% allowing them to stay and seek citizenship. You can see my table summarizing the survey results by party below:

Democrats

• 64% Support Allowing Undocumented Immigrants to Stay in Jobs & Seek Citizenship
• 57% Support Marijuana Legalization
• 44% Think Marriage Equality Had No Effect
• 35% Think Marriage Equality Changed Things for the Better
• --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• 35% Oppose Marijuana Legalization
• 20% Support Kicking Undocumented Immigrants Out Of Their Jobs & the Country
• 18% Think Marriage Equality Changed Things for the Worse
• 13% Support a Temporary Guest-Worker Program for Undocumented Immigrants

Republicans

• 55% Oppose Marijuana Legalization
• 39% Want Undocumented Immigrants Out of their Jobs & the Country
• 39% Think Marriage Equality Had No Effect
• 38% Support Marijuana Legalization
• --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• 34% Think Marriage Equality Changed Things for the Worse
• 31% Support Allowing Undocumented Immigrants to Stay in Jobs & Seek Citizenship
• 19% Think Marriage Equality Changed Things for the Better
• 18% Support a Temporary Guest-Worker Program for Undocumented Immigrants

RESULTS BY RACE FOR MARIJUANA AND IMMIGRATION - There are a few more interesting items in Goucher's polling crosstabs (which you can read below), but I would note a couple tidbits. A strong majority of black Marylanders support marijuana legalization, though a majority of white Marylanders also support legalization. The non-white/non-black category is the only race group where more respondents opposed than supported legalization, albeit by a slim margin of 3%. Black Marylanders were also the strongest supporters of immigrant rights, with 62% of black respondents supporting allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in their jobs and seek citizenship. You can read the polling memos below:

Goucher College November 2013 Poll Crosstabs on Marijuana, Marriage Equality & Immigration

Goucher College November 2013 Poll on Marijuana, Marriage Equality & Immigration

A Closer Look at New Polling Numbers in Maryland's Race for Governor // Race, Gender & Political Party Divides in Name ID

Yesterday Maryland Juice published a polling memo from Goucher College that included early name identification data in the heated race for Governor. Today we decided to dig a little deeper into Goucher's poll to provide some early insight into any differences in name ID based on party identification, race and gender. Before we begin our discussion, it is worth noting that none of the candidates has invested any noteworthy amounts of spending on media at this early stage, so we expect these numbers to shift (perhaps dramatically) once the campaigning begins in earnest.

NAME ID AND POLITICAL PARTY: In our polling write-up yesterday, we noted the following name id for gubernatorial candidates among Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated/third party voters:

• 62 percent recognize “Anthony Brown”
• 58 percent recognize “Doug Gansler”
• 49 percent recognize “Dutch Ruppersberger”
• 31 percent recognize “David Craig”
• 23 percent recognize “Charles Lollar”
• 22 percent recognize “Ron George”
• 13 percent recognize “Heather Mizeur”

But it is worth remembering that Maryland has closed political party primaries, so that only Democrats and Republicans can vote in their respective primary elections in June 2014. If you restrict the survey results to only Democrats and only Republicans, the results in the name ID poll shift in interesting ways. Note the name ID survey results when restricted to Democrats and Republicans below:

Name ID Among Democrats

1. Anthony Brown 67%
2. Doug Gansler 56%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger 45%
4. Heather Mizeur 15%

Name ID Among Republicans

1. David Craig 39%
2. Charles Lollar 26%
3. Ron George 25%

Note: Gansler & Ruppersberger both have higher name ID among Republicans. When you restrict the survey to only Democrats, Brown and Mizeur both see increases in their name ID, while Gansler and Ruppersberger see declines. In the Republican field, all three candidates have higher name ID among Republicans than Democrats.

NAME ID AND RACE: The name ID results shift once again when you sort the results in the Democratic Primary by the race of the respondents (details below):

Name ID Among Black residents

1. Anthony Brown - 68%
2. Doug Gansler - 50%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger - 47%
4. Heather Mizeur - 11%

Name ID Among White residents

1. Doug Gansler - 64%
2. Anthony Brown - 59%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger - 52%
4. Heather Mizeur - 15%

Name ID Among Non-White/Black residents

1. Anthony Brown - 64%
2. Doug Gansler - 45%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger - 38%
4. Heather Mizeur - 9%

Note:  When factoring in race, Brown sees a fairly substantial advantage in name ID among black and non-white/non-black residents, while Gansler sees a healthy lead among white residents. But note that these results reflect the name ID among residents of all political parties, and we can surmise that Gansler's advantage among white residents is enhanced by recognition within the pool of white Republican residents.


NAME ID AND GENDER: The name ID results shift in interesting ways yet again when you sort the results in the Democratic Primary by the gender of the respondents (details below):

Name ID Among Males

1. Anthony Brown 58%
2. Doug Gansler 58%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger 51%
4. Heather Mizeur 13%

Name ID Among Females

1. Anthony Brown 66%
2. Doug Gansler 58%
3. Dutch Ruppersberger 48%
4. Heather Mizeur 14%

Note: When looking at gender, Anthony Brown and Doug Gansler both have equal name ID among male residents, abut Brown has an 8-point advantage among women over Gansler. Ruppersberger is slightly more known among men than women, and the same holds true (to a slight degree) for Mizeur. Maryland Juice expects the Democratic Primary voting population to skew disproportionately toward women.

The Goucher poll includes the following notice and disclaimer about methodology and funding:

GOUCHER POLL: To ensure all Maryland citizens are represented, the Goucher Poll is conducted using random digit dialing (RDD) of a stratified random sample using landline and cellular telephone numbers. The Goucher Poll is conducted under the auspices of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center, which is housed in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Goucher College. Directed by Mileah Kromer, the Goucher Poll conducts surveys on public policy, economic, and social issues in Maryland. The Goucher Poll is fully funded by the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center endowment and does not take additional funding from outside sources. The Goucher Poll seeks to improve public discourse in the state by providing neutral and nonbiased information on citizen perceptions and opinions.

You can see the polling memos on the race, gender and party crosstabs below:

Goucher November 2013 Maryland Gubernatorial Name ID Poll: Race Crosstabs

Goucher November 2013 Maryland Gubernatorial Name ID Poll: Gender & Party Crosstabs

VIDEO: Candidates for Attorney General Support Marijuana Decriminalization // PLUS: Majority for Legalizing in Gallup Poll

ALL FOUR DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL SUPPORT MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION - Last night Maryland Juice attended a packed Democratic candidates forum for the state's heated Attorney General race. Though Sen. Brian Frosh could not make the event, Delegates Aisha Braveboy, Jon Cardin & Bill Frick showed up at the Wheaton Library to talk about law enforcement, consumer, civil rights and environmental issues.

Bill Frick, Jon Cardin & Aisha Braveboy (left to right)

Given that efforts to remove jail penalties for non-violent marijuana possession have stalled in the State House, I decided to ask the Democratic candidates whether they supported Sen. Bobby Zirkin's legislation to remove jail-time as a penalty for pot possession. As luck would have it, it appears that every single Democratic candidate for Maryland's top law enforcement office supports marijuana decriminalization (see the video below):



Though Sen. Brian Frosh was not available to answer this question at last night's forum, it is worth noting that he already voted in favor of Sen. Bobby Zirkin's bill to remove jail-time as a penalty for marijuana possession. That means that every single Democrat running for Attorney General supports marijuana decriminalization, and at least one gubernatorial candidate (Heather Mizeur) has also gone on record supporting this common-sense reform.


NEW GALLUP POLL SHOWS SUPER-MAJORITY OF DEMOCRATS SUPPORT POT LEGALIZATION  //  MARIJUANA REFORM GOES MAINSTREAM - It is worth noting that the marijuana reform proposal advancing in Maryland is a "decriminalization" bill that would replace jail penalties for possession with civil fines (like a traffic ticket). This is a step below marijuana "legalization" policies (eg: to tax and regulate pot similarly to alcohol) that have been passed in Washington and Colorado. But once again, it appears that the public is more forward-thinking than lawmakers on issues.

A new Gallup poll released yesterday shows that a strong majority of Americans (58%) support full-on marijuana legalization, and the trend line on these numbers is very clear. Additionally, among Democrats support for marijuana legalization is at a whopping super-majority of 65%. Gallup's write-up of the poll results notes that the surge in marijuana support is following the same trajectory we witnessed with marriage equality, and (not surprisingly) most of the opponents are again Republicans (excerpt below):

GALLUP:  For marijuana advocates, the last 12 months have been a period of unprecedented success as Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational use of marijuana. And now for the first time, a clear majority of Americans (58%) say the drug should be legalized. This is in sharp contrast to the time Gallup first asked the question in 1969, when only 12% favored legalization....

A sizable percentage of Americans (38%) this year admitted to having tried the drug, which may be a contributing factor to greater acceptance....

The movement to legalize marijuana mirrors the relatively recent success of the movement to legalize gay marriage, which voters have also approved now in 14 states. Public support for gay marriage, which Americans also overwhelmingly opposed in the past, has increased dramatically, reaching majority support in the last two years....

Independents' growing support for legalization has mostly driven the jump in Americans' overall support.... Yet there is a marked divide between Republicans, who still oppose legalizing marijuana, and Democrats and independents.

  

So what's the hold-up, folks? Will Maryland drag its feet on this social justice issue and wait for other states to lead (again)?

JuiceBlender: MCGEO Raises History of Race in MoCo Politics, Anthony Brown Campaign Chairs, Confusion Over Gansler Staff

UPDATE: In the news roundup below, we flagged an article from PR Week noting that Attorney General Doug Gansler was bringing a former GOP aide onto his gubernatorial campaign team. But a spokesperson for Gansler contacted Maryland Juice to indicate that the PR Week article is mistaken and Johanna Schneider will not be joining Gansler's staff roster. The Gansler campaign states that Ms. Schneider merely offered her services as a volunteer.

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few items that may be of interest to Free State politicos:

JUICE #1: MOCO COUNTY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES UNION RAISES ISSUE OF RACE IN POLITICS - With all of the attention that the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee has received in recent months, there has been much discussion about the role of race and other demographic factors in how we build a local political farm team. At last night's MCDCC meeting to appoint a District 15 Delegate, MCGEO (a union representing MoCo government employees) handed out the following feisty letter re-opening the topic:

MCGEO Letter to MCDCC Regarding Race in Montgomery County Politics

JUICE #2: LT. GOVERNOR ANTHONY BROWN RELEASES LIST OF COUNTY CAMPAIGN CHAIRS FOR GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN - Today Maryland Juice received a press release from Anthony Brown's gubernatorial campaign announcing the names of the various campaign co-chairs he has assembled in each Maryland county (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Brown Ulman campaign announces Campaign Chairs in all 23 Counties and Baltimore City

Upper Marlboro, MD: Today, the Brown Ulman campaign announced its County Campaign Chairs, a broad cross-section of community leaders, small business owners, and state, county, and local elected officials who will work together to build and organize the surging grassroots support for Lt. Governor Anthony Brown for Governor. The 45 County Chairs and co-chairs, who represent all 23 Maryland counties plus Baltimore City, are united in backing Anthony Brown for Governor because of his record of real results including his work to expand access to healthcare, reduce domestic violence, spur middle-class job creation and help lead our public schools to be ranked #1 in the nation for five years in a row.....

The Brown Ulman Campaign Co-Chairs

• Jim Bestpitch, Allegany County Co-Chair
• Mayor Brian Grim, Allegany County Co-Chair
• Alderwoman Sheila M. Finlayson, Anne Arundel County Co-Chair
• Mike Miller, Anne Arundel County Co-Chair
• Tim O’Malley, Jr., Anne Arundel County Co-Chair
• Speaker Pro-Tem Adrienne Jones, Baltimore County Co-Chair
• Councilmember Johnny Olszewski, Baltimore County Co-Chair
• Sen. Kathy Klausmeier, Baltimore County Co-Chair
• Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore City Co-Chair
• Del. Maggie McIntosh, Baltimore City Co-Chair
• Sen. Nathaniel McFadden, Baltimore City Co-Chair
• Marie Duffield, Calvert County Co-Chair
• Eloise Evans, Calvert County Co-Chair
• Mayor Debbie Rowe, Caroline County Chair
• Greg Pecoraro, Carroll County Chair
• Commissioner Travis Marion, Cecil County Chair
• Sen. Thomas “Mac” Middleton, Charles County Co-Chair
• Reverend Reginald Kearney, Charles County Co-Chair
• Reverend Yvonne Wallace Penn, Dorchester County Co-Chair
• Dion Banks, Dorchester County Co-Chair
• Geb Byron, Frederick County Co-Chair
• Elizabeth Chung, Frederick County Co-Chair
• Catrina Aquilino, Garrett County Chair
• Councilmember Mary Ann Lisanti, Harford County Chair
• Councilmember Calvin Ball, Howard County Co-Chair
• Del. Guy Guzzone, Howard County Co-Chair
• Mary Marker, Howard County Co-Chair
• Art Hock, Kent County Chair
• Councilmember Valerie Ervin, Montgomery County Co-Chair
• Mayor Peter Fosselman, Montgomery County Co-Chair
• Council President Nancy Navarro, Montgomery County Co-Chair
• State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks, Prince George’s County Co-Chair
• Councilmember Derrick Leon Davis, Prince George’s County Co-Chair
• Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk, Prince George’s County Co-Chair
• Stephen Meehan, Queen Anne’s County Chair
• Commissioner Craig Mathies, Somerset County Chair
• Commission President Jack Russell, St. Mary’s County Chair
• Carl Widell, Talbot County Co-Chair
• Joyce Scharch, Talbot County Co-Chair
• Del. John Donoghue, Washington County Co-Chair
• Bruce Poole, Washington County Co-Chair
• Carolyn Brooks, Washington County Co-Chair
• County Executive Rick Pollitt, Wicomico County Co-Chair
• Councilmember Sheree Sample-Hughes, Wicomico County Co-Chair
• Commissioner James Purnell, Worcester County Chair

JUICE #3: ATTORNEY GENERAL DOUG GANSLER HIRES GOP CAMPAIGN AIDE FOR GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN - NOTE: See an update to this news item at the top of this post.  PR Week reported today Attorney General Doug Gansler has added a staff member with an interesting resume to his gubernatorial campaign team (excerpt below):

PR WEEK: Johanna Schneider is exiting her post as MD and market leader of Burson-Marsteller's Washington, DC, office to join the gubernatorial campaign of Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler.

Schneider will leave the position by the month's end, she told PRWeek. Beyond the fact that she will provide communications support for Gansler's fundraising efforts, other specifics of her work, including her title, are still being discussed, she said. Burson is determining who will succeed her....

“It's a real passion project for me to support my friend, who I share a lot of values with,” she said. Schneider added that she was also drawn to his pro-business initiatives, such as his plan to cut corporate taxes should he be elected as Maryland's governor.

It's also a chance for Schneider to re-enter the political world. She previously served as press secretary for former Republican Rep. Robert Michel (R-IL) and worked on an unsuccessful congressional campaign in the early 1980s....

POLITICS OF RACE: Gansler Belittles Brown Campaign As Only About Skin Color // PLUS: A Challenger to Del. Brian Feldman

The issue of race is percolating among voters in deep-Blue Maryland, as the coming election cycle is revealing long-simmering tensions over diversity in the state's Democratic Party. Below Maryland Juice notes a few emerging storylines of interest to politicos, starting with a wild case of foot-in-mouth disease from Attorney General Doug Gansler:

JUICE #1: DOUG GANSLER CAUGHT DISPARAGING ANTHONY BROWN'S CAMPAIGN, SAYING THE LT. GOVERNOR IS RELYING ON HIS RACE TO WIN - Within the span of a couple minutes, several Maryland Juice readers forwarded us a wild new article from The Washington Post's John Wagner highlighting candid thoughts from Attorney General Doug Gansler about Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. In the commentary below, Gansler belittles the campaign of Brown, claiming Maryland's black Lieutenant Governor is relying on his race to win the Governor's mansion (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler told a group of campaign volunteers last month that Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, his chief Democratic rival for governor, has a thin record of accomplishment and is trying to rely on his race to get elected next year. "I mean, right now his campaign slogan is, 'Vote for me, I want to be the first African American governor of Maryland,'" Gansler (D) told the group....

An audio recording of the July 15 meeting -- in which Gansler also spoke candidly about his campaign strategy -- was provided to The Washington Post by someone not employed by either campaign.... The recording is yet another example of a political figure having to explain remarks that he did not expect to be made public. In the 2012 presidential race, GOP nominee Mitt Romney had to defend his "47 percent" comments, which critics said disparaged nearly half the electorate....

Although Brown did not comment directly on Gansler's remarks, his running mate, Ken Ulman, said they crossed the line.... "Frankly, the voters deserve a little more respect from Doug...."

One source (who is not affiliated with any gubernatorial campaign) provided harsh reaction to Gansler's remarks about race, noting "This sounds like  a serious dick move by Gansler. This is very bad for Gansler. Basically accusing Anthony Brown of being black." But Maryland Juice writer Dan Furmansky had perhaps more measured thoughts about the Gansler campaign:

DAN FURMANSKY: Well, folks. I dare say the fan has been hit. The Post reports that "the salvos mark the first real tumult in a contest that had been relatively quiet and could show how race is likely to play an important role."

Indeed, there are cringe-worthy statements here.

What's remarkable to me in addition to the content of the remarks is that they may be an omen for Mr. Gansler's campaign if he doesn't adopt a more disciplined approach to what comes out of his mouth from here through next June. Indeed, more than one political insider wagered to me months ago that Mr. Gansler would end up self-destructing simply through his lack of a filter. A spokesperson for Anthony Brown's campaign called Gansler’s remarks “out of touch with Maryland values.” Indeed, they are certainly out of touch with a number of Democratic primary voters' values. Most voters--African American, Latina, gay, Asian, Muslim, disabled--want a governor whose tone projects inclusivity ... a feeling that they consider your community to be their community too.

Is this incident a nail in Mr. Gansler's coffin? Doubtful. He may be right in his assessment not to announce his candidacy until September that too few voters are paying attention at this point anyway. There is much time to for him to define himself between now and June, especially with a war chest that will enable robust air time. But this is, hopefully, a wake-up call--not to his campaign, but to Mr. Gansler himself. At this point in the game, every word, every where, and to every one, matters.

JUICE #2: DEL. BRIAN FELDMAN HAS A CHALLENGER FOR SENATE // MOCO MINORITIES SUGGEST CARETAKER APPOINTMENT FOR GARAGIOLA VACANCY - In another race-tinged storyline, The Washington Post's Bill Turque reported this weekend that Delegate Brian Feldman will face a challenger in his quest to be appointed to State Senator Rob Garagiola's District 15 vacancy. The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will soon name a temporary replacement for Garagiola, and minorities in Montgomery County have been clamoring to see the first-ever non-white State Senator represent the rapidly diversifying region. But the same group of minority activists had not been able to point to a potential candidate for the D15 vacancy -- until just a few days ago. The Washington Post is now reporting that Bilal Ayyub, a University of Maryland professor, is stepping forward for the appointment to serve as a caretaker and not run for office in 2014 (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: For all of its much-celebrated progressive tradition, Montgomery County has never sent a candidate of color to the state Senate.... Instead, the process of filling western Montgomery’s District 15 seat has exposed long-simmering tensions in a county transformed by rapid demographic change.... The county’s Democratic Central Committee has scheduled a Sept. 10 vote on a recommendation to Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), who will make the appointment....

What especially vexed minorities was an announcement by the District 15 Democratic Caucus — the core group of active Democrats in that area — that it had endorsed [Del. Brian] Feldman. In fact, only the caucus’s executive committee had agreed to support Feldman.... [Latino, Asian, African American and Arab American community representatives] plan to press the central committee to bypass Feldman and name a “caretaker” who would not run for Garagiola’s seat next year....

[CASA in Action's] Gustavo Torres said the group had asked Bilal Ayyub, a University of Maryland engineering professor and a member of the Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern Affairs, to submit his name to the central committee for consideration as the caretaker. Ayyub, 55, a District 15 resident born on the then-Jordanian West Bank, declined to comment Friday....

JUICE #3: BLACK MOCO RESIDENTS OVER 3X MORE LIKELY THAN WHITES TO BE BUSTED FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION // DISPARITY EVEN WORSE IN BALTIMORE - Speaking of race, The ACLU recently released a damning new report showing that black residents in Maryland are 3 times more likely than white residents to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite equal rates of use between the races. But the local breakdowns for the statistics are fascinating, as the ACLU notes that black residents of liberal Montgomery County are 3.2 times more likely than white residents to be busted by cops for pot. That racial disparity is most pronounced in the city of Baltimore, where black residents are 5.6 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession.

All of these expressions of feelings about pot by our government are very expensive -- both in terms of raw tax dollars and in terms of police resource allocation -- and they are about as effective as abstinence-only education is at halting teen pregnancy. The ACLU report notes, for example, that Maryland spent over $106 million enforcing marijuana possession laws in 2010, and that these pot busts represented 50% of our police officers' drug enforcement activities. That sure seems like a good use of our finite public safety resources (*eye-roll*). As many of us have been pointing out for awhile, it is impossible to separate America's mass incarceration regime from the failed so-called "War on Drugs," which has ravaged communities of color, cost billions of tax dollars, and has been an utter failure at reducing drug use.

But many Maryland politicians continue to pay lip-service to these pressing social and economic justice issues, while ignoring the inertia of policies that lead to mass incarceration and racial disparities in law enforcement. In fact, five years ago The New York Times warned of the consequences of our government's draconian worldview (excerpt below):

NEW YORK TIMES: The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population. But it has almost a quarter of the world's prisoners.

Indeed, the United States leads the world in producing prisoners, a reflection of a relatively recent and now entirely distinctive American approach to crime and punishment. Americans are locked up for crimes — from writing bad checks to using drugs — that would rarely produce prison sentences in other countries. And in particular they are kept incarcerated far longer than prisoners in other nations.

Criminologists and legal scholars in other industrialized nations say they are mystified and appalled by the number and length of American prison sentences. The United States has, for instance, 2.3 million criminals behind bars, more than any other nation.... China, which is four times more populous than the United States, is a distant second, with 1.6 million people in prison....

ERIC HOLDER & DR. SANJAY GUPTA CHANGE MINDS ON WEED: You would think that in well-educated, liberal, diverse Montgomery County policy considerations such as these would prevail over emotional and irrational fears. But you would be wrong. And at the state level, reform efforts stall year after year without any clear political constituency favoring incarceration for simple pot possession. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently published a lengthy piece explaining why he has now changed his mind on marijuana after apparently deciding to, you know, look at evidence:

DR. SANJAY GUPTA (VIA CNN): Long before I began this project, I had steadily reviewed the scientific literature on medical marijuana from the United States and thought it was fairly unimpressive. Reading these papers five years ago, it was hard to make a case for medicinal marijuana. I even wrote about this in a TIME magazine article, back in 2009, titled "Why I would Vote No on Pot." Well, I am here to apologize.

I apologize because I didn't look hard enough, until now. I didn't look far enough.... I mistakenly believed the Drug Enforcement Agency listed marijuana as a schedule 1 substance because of sound scientific proof. Surely, they must have quality reasoning as to why marijuana is in the category of the most dangerous drugs that have "no accepted medicinal use and a high potential for abuse."

They didn't have the science to support that claim, and I now know that when it comes to marijuana neither of those things are true. It doesn't have a high potential for abuse, and there are very legitimate medical applications. In fact, sometimes marijuana is the only thing that works.... We have been terribly and systematically misled for nearly 70 years in the United States, and I apologize for my own role in that.

On August 14, 1970, the Assistant Secretary of Health, Dr. Roger O. Egeberg wrote a letter recommending the plant, marijuana, be classified as a schedule 1 substance, and it has remained that way for nearly 45 years.... Not because of sound science, but because of its absence, marijuana was classified as a schedule 1 substance. Again, the year was 1970.

Even U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (who is not trailblazer on ending the failed "War on Drugs") is beginning to see the writing on the wall. Yesterday he announced a new effort to tackle the issue of mass incarceration, and the American public didn't even blink. As Maryland Juice has pointed out for many months now, the polling data on Americans and marijuana appears to have crossed a major threshold in public opinion, Reason.com noted yesterday that the powers that be are beginning to finally acknowledge the shift (excerpt below):

REASON.COM: As Attorney General Eric Holder calls for major changes to federal drug sentencing reform today, in effect sidestepping mandatory minimum sentences for some drug offenses to reduce the number of non-violent offenders sentenced to incarceration, the Obama administration is likely to find support from the American public. The most recent Reason-Rupe poll of 1,003 Americans on cell phones and landlines found that just 6 percent of Americans say people found with marijuana should go to jail. In contrast, 35 percent say people smoking or in possession of marijuana should not be punished at all; 32 percent say they should be fined; and 20 percent favor rehabilitation and counseling.

Check out a summary of the ACLU's research on Maryland below:

ACLU Stats on Racial Disparities in Maryland's Marijuana Arrest Rates

Most MD Attorney General & Governor Candidates Quiet on Trayvon Martin // PLUS: Florida’s “Stand Your Ground" Law

UPDATE: Maryland Juice just caught remarks from Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown at an address before this morning's NAACP Annual Convention in Orlando. The gentleman who introduced Brown noted that Maryland's Lt. Gov. would be the first black governor elected south of the Mason Dixon line since Virginia Governor Doug Wilder last served, and he also highlighted the state's recent work at expanding voting rights and abolishing the death penalty. Notably, Brown highlighted the importance of reducing prison disparities and made the following remarks about the Trayvon Martin case (excerpt below):

LT. GOV. ANTHONY BROWN: Our country mourns the loss of a 17 year-old son, and we struggle as caring Americans to process the recent jury decision. I have two sons and, like all parents, I want to do all I can to protect them from injustice, ignorance and pain. But this tragic death makes it clearer than ever before that our children are subject to the world we prepare for them. Each of us, families, neighbors, even strangers, have an obligation to contribute to a better, safer world for all of our children, not just those we raise. As a nation, we can do more, and we must. We must do more than simply protect them. We must fight to build communities that nurture them, that look first for their potential, not their threat. While our thoughts and prayers go out to the Martin family, they should be accompanied by a renewed commitment to protect all children, nurture tolerance and fight for justice.

Below Maryland Juice publishes an article from our new writer Dan Furmansky about the recent verdict in the Trayvon Martin case. Dan highlights the limited response from Maryland elected officials, including those seeking the office of Governor and Attorney General. Interestingly, the round-up below highlights response to the Trayvon verdict from Delegate Heather Mizeur, Rep. Elijah Cummings, and even former GOP Lt. Gov. Michael Steele... but few other candidates for statewide office in Maryland have weighed in. See Dan Furmansky's piece below:

DAN FURMANSKY: The verdict came down, and perhaps, like me, you couldn’t turn off the television. Florida State Attorney Angela Corey, face plastered with a creepy smile, offered a rambling pseudo acceptance speech at her post-verdict press conference, arguing, “This case has never been about race or the right to bear arms.” Texas Gov. Rick Perry said on CNN that he thinks "our justice system is colorblind." Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said much of the same: "The American way is colorblind." At least Quinn also disparaged the "Stand Your Ground" law at the center of the Martin case, saying "we don't have it in Illinois, and we don't want it." On ABC's This Week, Sen. Orrin Hatch said that "at least from all that I watched, it seemed to me that it was an accurate verdict" and that it appeared to him that justice was served.

Really?  Is this what justice looks like?

Can anyone—even those who believe the jury rightly decided the decision based upon the law and the evidence presented—honestly say that justice has been served when George Zimmerman walks, taking his gun with him? Can anyone say justice was served while they look Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin square in the eyes?

Trayvon Martin is yet another sad chapter in a much larger story about the role of racial assumptions and racial profiling in our justice system, our society’s love affair with guns, and the lopsided dispensation of justice based on the race of victims.

To the latter point, the Tampa Bay Times just released extensive analysis on application of Florida's "stand your ground" law, citing an array of examples that reek of vigilantism, not self-defense.  It's no shock there are racial disparities with the success of the law's application depending on the victim's race. Or that concealed weapons permits in Florida now stand at 1.1 million, three times as many as in 2005 when the law was passed. The Tampa Bay Times explains (excerpt below):

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Florida's "stand your ground'' law has allowed drug dealers to avoid murder charges and gang members to walk free. It has stymied prosecutors and confused judges. It has also served its intended purpose, exonerating dozens of people who were deemed to be legitimately acting in self-defense. Among them: a woman who was choked and beaten by an irate tenant and a man who was threatened in his driveway by a felon.

Seven years since it was passed, Florida's "stand your ground" law is being invoked with unexpected frequency, in ways no one imagined, to free killers and violent attackers whose self-defense claims seem questionable at best.

Cases with similar facts show surprising — sometimes shocking — differences in outcomes. If you claim "stand your ground" as the reason you shot someone, what happens to you can depend less on the merits of the case than on who you are, whom you kill and where your case is decided.

Among the findings:

Those who invoke "stand your ground" to avoid prosecution have been extremely successful. Nearly 70 percent have gone free.

Defendants claiming "stand your ground" are more likely to prevail if the victim is black. Seventy-three percent of those who killed a black person faced no penalty compared to 59 percent of those who killed a white.

The number of cases is increasing, largely because defense attorneys are using "stand your ground" in ways state legislators never envisioned. The defense has been invoked in dozens of cases with minor or no injuries. It has also been used by a self-described "vampire" in Pinellas County, a Miami man arrested with a single marijuana cigarette, a Fort Myers homeowner who shot a bear and a West Palm Beach jogger who beat a Jack Russell terrier....

CONSERVATIVE ORIGINS OF FLORIDA'S "STAND YOUR GROUND" LAW - “Stand Your Ground” laws are model legislation endorsed and promoted by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has promoted undemocratic and unjust voter ID laws that disenfranchise young people, people of color, and the elderly from voting. Arizona’s anti-immigrant law, SB1070, was based on a model bill that was created by ALEC. ALEC Exposed, a project of the Center for Media and Democracy, describes the process through which ALEC’s “model” legislation takes shape:

Through ALEC, behind closed doors, corporations hand state legislators the changes to the law they desire that directly benefit their bottom line.  Corporations fund almost all of ALEC’s operations… Participating legislators… then bring those proposals home and introduce them in statehouses across the land as their own brilliant ideas and important public policy innovations—without disclosing that corporations crafted and voted on the bills. ALEC boasts that it has over 1,000 of these bills introduced by legislative members every year, with one in every five of them enacted into law.

On the ALEC Exposed web site, several Maryland politicians are listed as having a relationship with ALEC, including Governor-wannabe and Republican Delegate Ron George.

Thankfully, while a large number of states have Stand Your Ground laws, in Maryland, the Court of Appeals has ruled that (excluding one’s home or business) an accused claiming the right of self-defense must not have been the aggressor or provoked the conflict. The force used must have not been unreasonable and excessive. 

WHERE ARE MARYLAND'S STATEWIDE CANDIDATES ON THE TRAYVON MARTIN VERDICT? - Given how important this ruling is, I wondered what candidates for office here in Maryland had to say about the issue. On Facebook, Anthony Brown posted this photo from the NAACP Convention, but notably did not offer any words about the verdict:

This is somewhat surprising, since I received an email in my inbox from Roslyn Brock Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, comparing Trayvon to Emmett Till, urging people to call on the Justice Department to file charges against Zimmerman, and noting that her “Responding to these injustices was a focus of my address to the 104th annual convention of the NAACP tonight.”

While I may have missed a press release or a social media post from one of the candidates for Governor or Attorney General on the issue, and while I respect that even campaign staff have a right to take the weekend off, I found it notable that there was radio silence on the matter.

The only comments on the case I could find from any of the candidates were from Heather Mizeur, who urged her followers to help the NAACP collect signatures to urge the Department of Justice to open up a civil rights case against Zimmerman:

Other Maryland politicians did weigh in as well. See the Tweets from Rep. Elijah Cummings and Lt. Gov. Michael Steele below (via Yahoo news):

In Baltimore, several hundred people rallied at the inner harbor to protest the verdict, echoing calls from the NAACP, Color of Change, and MoveOn for people to urge the U.S. Department of Justice to take action against Zimmerman. The Baltimore Sun covered the rally, but did not mention any politicians in attendance (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: The Baltimore-based NAACP and the pastor of a city mega-church were among those calling Sunday for a federal civil rights case against George Zimmerman after the Florida man was acquitted in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager.

Meanwhile, a crowd numbering between 300 and 400 rallied at Baltimore's Inner Harbor to register frustration and dismay with the late Saturday verdict in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.... 

And in thundering, emotional services Sunday morning, the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant of the Empowerment Temple in Baltimore told congregants that he and perhaps 100 other pastors will travel to Washington Tuesday in hopes of speaking to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr....

But even as he vowed to go to the Justice Department about the case, he encouraged people to bring "that same anger" to the ongoing spate of killings in Baltimore and funnel it into efforts to make the city safer. His church is planning a gun buyback event in August.

"Pray that we will begin to have a restoration of the value of human life," Bryant said....

It’s clear this verdict has captured the attention of the country. Progressives are confused, sad, angry, and outraged. I think we’ll all be curious to see what our candidates for Attorney General and Governor have to say about the matter.

Raising heart and voice,

Dan

P.S. You can sign the NAACP petition to the Department of Justice here: http://www.naacp.org/justice

SPECIAL ELECTION: Jarrett Smith Wins Takoma Park City Council Seat // BACKDROP: Diversity, Endorsements & More

A COMPETITVE CITY COUNCIL ELECTION IN TAKOMA PARK YESTERDAY: For those of you who pay attention to Montgomery County municipal politics, we now have the results of a new election to present. Voters yesterday cast ballots to fill a vacancy on the six-member Takoma Park City Council. Last Spring, The Gazette's Aaron Kraut reported that Ward 5 Councilmember Reuben Snipper was resigning his seat to move to Italy with his wife: