Campus Informer

California’s Marijuana Law Means Fewer Juvenile Arrests; Tufts Takes Lance Armstrong’s Degree Away

Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2012 in Campus Informer by Jen Hicks

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  • California’s Marijuana Law Means Fewer Juvenile Arrests; Tufts Takes Lance Armstrong’s Degree Away

University of Kansas Creates Gender Neutral Restrooms For LGBT Awareness Month. The University of Kansas’ LGBT Resource Center coordinated the temporary change from some single-sex to gender-neutral restrooms to promote awareness about transgender issues and the implementation of permanent gender-neutral restrooms on other campus. Michael Detmer, coordinator for the LGBT Resource Center, said that it all comes down to a safety issue. Transgender people, said Detmen, “have had experiences with physical and verbal assault by being in a bathroom where others perceive them as being the opposite sex.” [Daily Kansan]

Juvenile Arrests Decline With California’s  Marijuana Law. The Center on Criminal and Juvenile Justice reported that the number of young people arrested on marijuana charges has dropped 61 percent since 2010 in the sunshine state. It was in 2010 that California passed a state law which made possession of less than one ounce of marijuana an infraction instead of a misdemeanor, meaning the case is treated like a traffic ticket and the accused is subject to a fine up to $100. While marijuana is still illegal under federal law, pro-marijuana states could consider enacting similar decriminalization laws in order comply with the government while simultaneously decreasing the workload in their courts. [Think Progress]

Gender-Neutral Dorms At The University of Alabama? Spectrum, the LGBTQ student group at the University of Alabama (UA), incited discussions about on-campus gender-neutral housing earlier this semester. For transgender UA students, gender-neutral housing would provide a safe haven for students who might otherwise be incorrectly assigned to single-gender dorms. Noah Cannon, the president of Spectrum, notes that UA would be "very ahead of the game" as the first school in the South Eastern Conference to have gender-neutral housing. "UA has historically been more of a follow with regards to LGBTQ issues, and this is an opportunity to lead," he said. The university has not released any more details about the policy implementation. [The Crimson White]

Georgia's Saxby Chambliss Comes Around On Taxes. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), a member of the "Gang of Eight," spoke out against the "anti-tax rigidity" in conservative lobbyist Grover Norquist's "no new taxes" pledge. On Nov. 21, Chambliss stated that he cares more about his country than he does about Norquist—who has no plan to eliminate the national debt, and whose stated taxphobic strategy would add to the debt without taking responsibility for the political consequences. At least 16 other Republicans have abandoned the pledge, signaling a shift in the GOP platform after November's elections. "It's been 22 years since a Republican voted for a tax increase in this town," Chambliss said. "This is not my first rodeo." Norquist replied, "If he wants to change his mind and become a tax increaser so we don't have to reform government, he needs to have that conversation with the people of Georgia. [Huffington Post]

Tufts Strips Lance Armstrong of Honorary Degree. The Tufts University board of trustees has voted unanimously to retract Armstrong's "honorary degree" after evidence about Lance Armstrong using performance-enhancing steroids during his cycling career surfaced. According to a university spokeswoman, Armstrong's career decisions are inconsistent with Tufts University values. Armstrong, who claims to have "barely made it out of high school," watched his career vanish as he was stripped of all Tour de France titles, lost his Nike contract, and relinquished ties to his charity, Livestrong. [Huffington Post]

Jennifer Hicks is a Communications Intern for Campus Progress.

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