CONVENTION MINUTES
FEBRUARY 3, 1996

The following persons were elected by unanimous consent as Officials of the Libertarian Party of Iowa:

The following persons were elected by unanimous consent to the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Iowa:

The following persons were elected by unanimous consent to the Judiciary Committee of the Libertarian Party of Iowa:

The following persons were elected by unanimous consent as National Delegates:

The following U.S. Congressional Candidates of the Libertarian Party of Iowa were nominated by unanimous consent:

Libertarian Party Vice Presidential Candidate Jo Jorgensen, a computer software business owner, addressed the convention on the topic of the Republican Party as a wolf in sheep’s clothing (a socialist organization using Libertarian rhetoric). She said Republicans like to talk about less government. But, do Republicans really vote like Libertarians? She gave the example, among others, of the drug war as a program designed to perform the impossible task of coercing personal behavior with the force of government and taxpayer dollars. When asked why she wasn’t attacking the Democrats, she said it was because they were honest thieves, at least they were willing to admit they wanted a bigger federal government.

Libertarian Party of Iowa U.S. Congressional Candidate Gerald Carroll, a professor of journalism and author, addressed the convention on the subject of militias. Carroll showed examples of how the media uses minority groups for scapegoating. He explained that he would be introducing a guest speaker in Cedar Rapids on February 17, J. J. Johnson, a co-founder of the Ohio Militia. One of the common accusations of the media is that the militias are white supremacist organizations, and Johson is an African American.

Libertarian Party of Iowa U.S. Congressional Candidate Carl Olsen, an Iowa Department of Transportation employee and director of the Iowa Affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, addressed the convention on the subject of medical marijuana law reform. Olsen and others have succeeded in getting medical marijuana legislation introduced in the Iowa Legislature each year for the past three years. Olsen explained how he sends each of the 150 members of the Iowa Legislature a survey each year to gauge their support for medical marijuana law reform and to target specific legislators, their constituencies and the media for additional educational efforts.

Libertarian Party of Iowa Executive Board member John Hartog, an activist for the Fully Informed Jury Association, addressed the convention on the need for jury instruction reform. He asked that the members of the Libertarian Party of Iowa assist in lobbying the Iowa Legislature to pass jury instruction reform bills pending in both houses of the Iowa Legislature.

Libertarian Party of Iowa Executive Board member Randy Herod, a business consultant and states’ rights activist, addressed the convention on the need for a return to local control of government.

Iowa Grassroots Party activist Derrick Grimmer addressed the convention on the need for third parties who share common goals (particularly, the repeal of marijuana prohibition) to work together for social and legal reform. One of his themes was proportional representation.

Iowa Legislative Bills and Resolutions:

Senate File 2164 [was Senate Study Bill (SSB) 2028] - Imposes restrictions on paramilitary organizations.

Senate Joint Resolution 10 - Asks that the federal government respect the law in the state of Iowa allowing the medical use of marijuana under a doctor’s prescription.

House File 130 - Allows juries to be fully informed of their right to judge the law as well as the facts in any given case before them.

Senate File 287 - Allows juries to be fully informed of their right to judge the law as well as the facts in any given case before them.

House Joint Resolution 7 - Supports states’ rights under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.