Eureka Military Recruiting Measure J, 2008
From Ballotpedia
A Eureka Military Recruitment Initiative, or Measure J, appeared on the November 4, 2008 ballot in Eureka, in Humboldt County, California. The measure is citizen-initiated, and required the collection of signatures to earn its spot on the ballot.
Measure J prohibits military recruitment of youth under 18 in the city of Eureka.
Measure J was approved with 56.16% of the vote.
On June 18, 2009, federal judge Saundra Armstrong struck down Measure J, saying it was unconstitutional. Specifically, Armstrong agreed with federal Department of Justice attorneys that the law violates the clause of the federal Constitution that establishes the Constitution, federal statutes and treaties as the supreme law of the land. Government attorneys had argued that military recruitment falls under the purview of the federal government and that it cannot be regulated by state or local governments.[1] Armstrong was appointed to the federal bench by George W. Bush in 1991.
