Monthly Archives: November 2012

Law Library Annual Donation Drive for Pets

Since so many of us at the Law School enjoy the company of our furry friends we thought it might be nice to help animals less fortunate than our own pets with a donation drive for the Arizona Animal Welfare League and SPCA.    

Founded in 1971, the Arizona Animal Welfare League and SPCA is Arizona’s oldest and largest no-kill shelter. Their facilities provide a temporary home for nearly 2,000 dogs and cats every year. Their mission is to provide excellent care, protection and loving compassion for the life of the animals and to take a   leadership role in promoting humane values for the benefit of all animals and people. They are supported entirely by private funding.

A box to collect donations is located at the Circulation desk in the Law Library and there is also box located in the Law School near the information desk. Below is a list of items you may wish to donate:

  • Canned pate’ cat food
  • Canned dog food
  • Cat litter clumping and non-clumping
  • Laundry detergent
  • Bleach
  • Paper towels
  • Paper plates
  • New cat trees/towers
  • Litter pans

To see a list of items the Arizona Animal Welfare League especially needs, please click below. 

Arizona Animal Welfare League Wishlist

You can also make an online donation at the following web site: Online Donations

Donations will be accepted until December 28th.

Thank you for your generosity in supporting our furry friends & Happy Holidays from the Law Library staff.

Thanksgiving: One Day’s Journey to Becoming a Federal Holiday

(This post originally appeared on our blog November 23, 2011)
 
 We know that the tradition of Thanksgiving has been celebrated since colonial days. But do you know how it became a Federal Holiday?
 
The first post-nationhood  proclamation on record was made by George Washington on October 3, 1789. This marked the first time that Thanksgiving was officially recognized by the U.S. Government.
   
After that, Thanksgiving was proclaimed by presidents sporadically until Abraham Lincoln took office; since then it has been an annual affair. Lincoln proclaimed it in 1861, and after that the holiday was observed annually on the final Thursday in November.
 
In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt, proclaimed Thanksgiving a week earlier, in an effort to kick start the holiday shopping season and give the country, which was in the midst of the Great Depression, an economic a boost.

Some states disagreed with this decision and decided to stick with celebrating Thanksgiving on the final Thursday, Nov. 30; while others observed the Nov. 23 celebration, which became  known colloquially as “Franksgiving.” 

To end any confusion caused by Thanksgiving presidential proclaimations, Congress passed a joint resolution on October 6, 1941, that Thanksgiving would be observed on the fourth Thursday of November. Roosevelt signed the bill into law on December 25, 1941, thereby making Thanksgiving a matter of federal law.

You can learn more about Thanksgiving Day’s political journey from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum and the Library of Congress Thanksgiving Timeline.

 

State v. Federal Law – Medical Marijuana

Eighteen states (including Arizona) and the District of Columbia now allow for medical use of marijuana.  The medical marijuana laws of these states are in direct conflict with federal law, however, as the Controlled Substances Act prohibits the cultivation, distribution, and possession of marijuana.  This has created an incongruous situation in which an individual may be using medical marijuana in compliance with state law but is concurrently violating federal law, and thus exposing him or herself to federal prosecution.  While the U.S. Department of Justice stated in a 2009 Memorandum to U.S. Attorneys that federal prosecutors should generally not focus their resources on “individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana,” prosecution is still a real possibility.

It is yet to be seen how the federal government will respond to the state laws authorizing and regulating medical marijuana use, but if in the meantime you would like to learn more about the constitutional law issues raised by these laws  you can read through the recent Congressional Research Service report “Medical Marijuana: The Supremacy Clause, Federalism, and the Interplay Between State and Federal Laws.”

To learn more about the Medical Marijuana Program in Arizona check out the Arizona Department of Health Services webpage.