POT-MEASURE FOES HAVE NEW VOICE

CARSON CITY (AP) - The chief spokesman for law enforcement groups opposing
Nevada's marijuana legalization ballot question has been replaced after
alleging a drug cartel link to the legalization effort.

Clark County Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker was replaced by Las Vegas
Metro Police Sgt. Rick Barela. Barela said Tuesday there was a need to make
one person the source of information about organized opposition to Question
9. Now a public information officer, Barela was a patrol officer and
handled marijuana cases.

Booker claimed at a state Board of Health meeting on Friday that a man with
ties to South American drug cartels was financing Nevadans for Responsible
Law Enforcement.

The organization, headed by Billy Rogers, is campaigning for passage of
Question 9, which would amend the state Constitution and let adult Nevadans
possess 3 ounces or less of marijuana in their homes.

Rogers demanded an apology from Booker, saying the group never would take
donations from anyone associated with a drug cartel.

Rogers also sought an apology from Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, who
said the source of the drug cartel information was a publication owned by
perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche.