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Marijuana, Gay Marriage And Stem-Cell Research Dominate U.S. Ballot Measures.
By admin | November 3, 2004
CBC
Nov 03, 2004.
Gay marriage was banned in 11 states, stem-cell research prevailed in California and Montana opted to legalize medical marijuana Tuesday as voters across the United States passed judgment on a host of controversial ballot measures.
In all, 163 measures were on the ballots in 34 states, with major topics ranging from gambling and tobacco taxes to medical malpractice. Florida voters approved a $1-an-hour US hike in the state minimum wage, while Oklahoma voters opted for a state lottery, leaving only nine states without one.
California’s stem-cell measure, Proposition 71, became a battle of the Hollywood stars after actor-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger broke Republican ranks to line up in support of the measure with actor Christopher Reeve, who died recently of complications from a 1995 spinal-cord injury, and actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease.
Actor Mel Gibson was among high-profile foes of the measure.
Voters in 11 states refused to give their blessing to same-sex marriage, with constitutional amendments denying legal status to homosexual nuptials in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio and Utah. Oregon voters, where gay-rights activists had hoped to prevail, also banned same-sex marriage in balloting on the issue.
In Arizona, where illegal immigrants are costing the state millions in food stamps, welfare and other social services, voters approved a crackdown on illegal aliens, adopting a measure to deter them from voting or obtaining certain government services.
Arizona is the busiest illegal entry point on the U.S.-Mexico border, and spends millions annually to provide food stamps, welfare and other social services to illegal immigrants.
“People understand at a gut level that we’ve got a problem with illegal immigration and we’ve got to address it,” said Randy Pullen, a leading supporter of Proposition 200.
Florida voters also approved a measure limiting the privacy rights of girls seeking abortions, clearing the way for the state to pass a law requiring parents to be notified. Legislators had been stymied in efforts to pass such a law by court rulings that said they violated the privacy provision of the state constitution.
Many of the most noteworthy ballot items were in western states, including a potentially history-making proposal to legalize marijuana in Alaska. Federal drug czar John Walters denounced the measure; supporters defended it as a sensible alternative to existing drug policies.
In Oregon, voters were deciding whether to expand their state’s existing medical-marijuana program.
Colorado defeated a measure that would have allocated its electoral votes proportionally, based on the popular vote for president, and would have applied to this year’s race between President George W. Bush and John Kerry.
With defeat of the measure, either Bush or Kerry will get all nine of the state’s electoral votes, which otherwise might have split 5-4.
California had 16 measures on its ballot, more than any other state, including one that would require large businesses to provide employee health care. Wal-Mart donated $500,000 to oppose the measure. Critics of the retailer claim that California taxpayers spend $32 million a year providing care to Wal-Mart workers.
Voters in Maine and South Dakota both declined opportunities to lower taxes. South Dakotans defeated a bid to scrap the sales tax on groceries, while a measure to cap property taxes lost in Maine after opponents said it would force layoffs of teachers and firefighters.
Doctors and trial lawyers were on opposite sides in bitter debates in Nevada, Wyoming, Oregon and Florida over whether to impose limits on pain and suffering awards and attorneys’ fees in malpractice cases.
STATE MEASURES:
ALABAMA:
-Results pending: remove language from state constitution requiring racial segregation in public schools.
ALASKA:
-Results pending: decriminalize marijuana.
-Results pending: fill U.S. Senate vacancies by special election, not gubernatorial appointment.
-Results pending: ban bear-baiting.
ARKANSAS:
-Approved: ban gay marriage.
-Rejected: increase property tax rates to support public education.
ARIZONA:
-Approved: require proof of citizenship to register to vote and proof of immigration status to obtain certain government services.
CALIFORNIA:
-Approved: devote $3 billion to human embryonic stem cell experiments.
-Results pending: create open primaries
-Results pending: raise taxes on rich to boost mental health care.
-Results pending: tone down three-strikes law to deal only with serious crimes.
-Results pending: allow card clubs and racetracks to add 30,000 slot machines.
-Results pending: give Indian tribes broader gambling rights in return for paying state 8.8 per cent of revenue.
-Results pending: repeal law making businesses offer health insurance to workers.
COLORADO:
-Results pending: raise tobacco tax from 20 cents to 84 cents a pack to fund health care.
-Rejected: scrap winner-take-all system of awarding electoral votes, instead allocating them proportionally according to popular vote.
-Results pending: require power companies to use some renewable energy.
FLORIDA:
-Approved: limit privacy rights of girls under 18, a prelude to any future law requiring parents be told when minor daughters seek abortions.
-Approved: repeal high-speed train project, which Gov. Jeb Bush says state can’t afford.
-Approved: create state minimum wage of $6.15 an hour.
-Results pending: authorize Miami-Dade, Broward counties to hold referendums on allowing slot machines at racetracks, jai alai frontons.
-Approved: bar licensing of doctors who commit three or more incidents of medical malpractice.
-Results pending: cap attorney fees in medical malpractice suits.
GEORGIA:
-Approved: ban gay marriage.
KENTUCKY:
-Approved: ban gay marriage.
MAINE:
-Rejected: cap property taxes at 1 per cent of assessed value.
-Results pending: ban bear hunting with bait, dogs and traps.
MICHIGAN:
-Approved: ban gay marriage.
-Results pending: require voter approval of new forms of gambling.
MISSISSIPPI:
-Approved: ban gay marriage.
MONTANA:
-Approved: ban gay marriage.
-Approved: allow marijuana use for medical purposes.
-Results pending: lift ban on use of cyanide in some new gold and silver mines.
-Results pending: hike tax on cigarette pack from 70 cents to $1.70.
NEBRASKA:
-Rejected: legalize two casinos.
-Results pending: divert $2 million a year in lottery proceeds for improvements at state fairgrounds.
NEVADA:
-Results pending: raise state minimum wage to $6.15 from $5.15 an hour.
-Results pending: place $350,000 limit on pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice cases.
-Results pending: require legislature fund public schools ahead of all other items.
-Results pending: require state to fund schools at least at national average.
NORTH DAKOTA:
-Approved: ban gay marriage.
OHIO:
-Approved: ban gay marriage.
OKLAHOMA:
-Approved: ban gay marriage.
-Approved: start lottery, with state’s proceeds dedicated to education.
-Results pending: boost tax on cigarette pack by 55 cents to help fund health care.
-Approved: allow slot machines at horse tracks, expand tribal gambling options.
OREGON:
-Results pending: ban gay marriage.
-Results pending: expand existing medical marijuana program.
-Results pending: place $500,000 limit on pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice suits.
SOUTH CAROLINA:
-Approved: drop requirement that bars, restaurants serve liquor from minibottles.
SOUTH DAKOTA:
-Rejected: exempt groceries from state and city sales tax.
UTAH:
-Approved: ban gay marriage.
-Results pending: $150 million bond for conservation projects.
WASHINGTON:
-Results pending: allow more non-Indian gambling, dedicate tax revenue to property tax relief.
-Results pending: boost sales tax by a penny to provide $1 billion a year for education.
-Results pending: allow charter schools.
-Results pending: adopt open primary system.
-Results pending: block federal government from sending radioactive waste from other states to Hanford nuclear site until waste already there is cleaned up.
WEST VIRGINIA:
-Approved: let lawmakers allocate taxes or sell bonds to pay bonuses to veterans of Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq.
WYOMING:
-Results pending: allow cap on medical malpractice damages for pain and suffering.
LOCAL MEASURES:
Berkeley, Calif:
-Results pending: decriminalize prostitution.
Cincinnati:
-Results pending: repeal 1993 ban on gay rights laws.
Columbus, Ohio:
-Results pending: ban smoking in public places.
Maryland’s Talbot County:
-Results pending: limit size of superstores to 65,000 square feet.
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