Nebraska Secretary of State Rejects Attempt to Dissolve Legal Marijuana NOW Party

A group of nine individuals attempted to formally dissolve the Legal Marijuana NOW Party of Nebraska this past April, filing paperwork with the Secretary of State. However, their efforts were rebuked after Secretary of State Robert Evnen determined the group lacked the authority to act on behalf of the party.

In a June 10 press release shared with Independent Political Report, the U.S. Legal Marijuana NOW Party stated the individuals involved had submitted documents to dissolve the Nebraska organization, accusing them of being associated with the state Democratic Party. It compared the attempted dissolution to a 2022 controversy in Minnesota, where Democratic‑linked operatives were accused of attempting to force a name change of the Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis Party in an effort to intentionally siphon votes from Republican candidates.

Included with the press release was a letter dated June 3 from Evnen to Chelsea Richardson, which was also sent to state chair Mark Elworth Jr. The letter details the initial dissolution attempt made on April 3, when Richardson submitted a Notice of Dissolution along with nine signed affidavits from individuals who claimed to be vice chairs of the party, including her.

“As you were not listed as a officer or contact for the party in our records, my office contacted our prior point of contact for the party, Chairperson Mark Elworth Jr., to inquire about the filing,” a response to Richardson reads. “Mr. Elworth indicated that the LMN Party had not been dissolved and was not seeking to be dissolved at this time.”

According to the letter, Richardson originally asserted that the party’s state board functioned as both its state central and executive committee. She provided a list of officers she claimed were elected at the party’s April 2024 state convention. That list included Elworth as Chair, Desiree Brown as Secretary, Amanda Nix as Treasurer, the nine vice chairs, and five other individuals whose roles were described as “unclear.”

However, Evnen noted that the party’s bylaws on file did not establish a state central or executive committee and did not outline a formal process for dissolving the organization. This prompted his office to reach out to both Richardson and Elworth for additional clarification.

Richardson later responded that the party’s bylaws had been amended following her initial filing to authorize the state board to act as the executive committee. To support this, she submitted affidavits from the same nine individuals identified as vice chairs, along with a second request for dissolution on April 23.

In contrast, Elworth maintained that the party did not have a state central or executive committee and that no such amendment had taken place. He also submitted a different list of elected officers from the party’s more recent 2025 state convention, which he said took place on April 1. His list included himself as chair, Brown as secretary, Nix as treasurer, Edward Williams as co-chair, and Gene Siadek and Dennis Feldman as congressional district chairs.

Based on the conflicting information and the records on file, Evnen concluded that Richardson and the eight other individuals she represented were not recognized as officers of the party at the time of either dissolution filing. He further acknowledged Elworth as the party’s recognized chair when taking details into consideration, noting that Richardson herself also identified him as such.

“Given the serious nature of dissolving a political party and given the conflicting information about the LMN Party’s actions, its officers, and whether the LMN Party is seeking to be dissolved, I am not accepting the Notice of Dissolution submitted for filing on April 3, 2025, or the subsequent paper notice that was submitted on April 23, 2025,” Evnen wrote in his final determination. “Therefore, I will not be taking steps to dissolve the party at this time.”