Strong Anti-War and Pro-Rights Votes Cast In February Primary

In the February 5th primary, the voters of
both the City of Champaign Township and
Cunningham Township (Urbana) voted on
referenda supporting rights of detainees
and opposing the actual war in Iraq and
the President’s launching of a possible
future war against Iraq.
In Champaign Township, an item calling
for revision of the Military Commission
Act which would grant greater rights to
detainees passed (8,902 yes to 3,704 no),
while an item to limit funding in the war in
Iraq passed (7,772 yes to 5,069 no). Voters
in the city of Champaign also voted to raise
general assistance funding, something that
the Champaign City Council refused to
assist in, by a whopping vote of 8,902 yes
to 3,708 no.
In Cunningham Township voters said
that funds for the war and occupation in
Iraq should be cut (4,756 yes to 2,113 no);
that detainees’ rights of habeas corpus
should be recognized by the U.S. government
(5,350 to 1,394 no); and that the
President should not be able to wage war
on Iran without the consent of Congress
(5,681 yes to 1,364 no).