The issue of gay “marriage” technically was not on any ballot Nov. 2, but it nevertheless was a big loser again on the state level, as Iowa voters ousted three state Supreme Court justices in an unprecedented vote and several key state legislatures and governor’s offices flipped from liberal to conservative. Attempts at legalizing marijuana’s recreational use also lost out during the recent election.
One year after watching the Iowa Supreme Court legalize gay “marriage” in a 7–0 vote, voters booted all three justices who were on the ballot for retention. Justices David Baker and Michael Streit lost 54–46 percent, while Justice Marsha Ternus lost 55–45 percent. It was a monumental win for opponents of the ruling, who faced an uphill climb to educate voters — who often bypass the retention portion of the ballot — about the vote. It was the first time since 1962 that an Iowa Supreme Court justice has been rejected.
“When they went outside their constitutional boundaries, and they made law from the bench, and they executed [the law] from the bench … every one of our freedoms came up for grabs,” said Bob Vander Plaats, an Iowa businessman who led the effort to oust the justices. “Iowa stood up with a very common sense and a very measured voice.”
Meanwhile, the Iowa Legislature saw Republicans retake the state House and significantly narrow their margins in the Senate. The legislature is key to the gay “marriage” issue because Democratic leaders have blocked all efforts to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would reverse the gay “marriage” ruling.
In New Hampshire, gay “marriage” supporter John Lynch, a Democrat, won re-election, but Republicans regained the House and Senate with such big margins that they may be able to reverse the “same-sex marriage” law, which Lynch signed, even if he objects.
In Maine, Republican Paul LePage, who opposes gay “marriage,” won an open seat to succeed outgoing Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, who signed a gay “marriage” law in 2009, only to see voters reverse it.
But despite a series of big victories for traditionalists, there were some major disappointments.
In Rhode Island, independent and gay “marriage” supporter Lincoln Chafee won the governor’s race.
In Maryland, Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley, who has said he would sign a gay “marriage” bill, won re-election.
In Hawaii, Democrat Neil Abercrombie, a supporter of same-sex civil unions, was elected governor.
In the area of drug legalization, opponents had a landmark night as California’s Proposition 19 went down in defeat. This initiative, which would have made California the first state to legalize the growth, sale and use of recreational marijuana, lost 54–46 percent.
While the California race was the most closely watched ballot initiative nationwide, other states dealt with the marijuana issue.
South Dakota Initiated Measure 13, which would have legalized medicinal marijuana, lost 63–37 percent. Arizona Proposition 203, which also would have legalized medicinal pot, was behind at press time. And in Oregon, Measure 74, which would have expanded the current medicinal law to allow farmers to grow marijuana and operate dispensaries to sell it, lost, 57–43 percent.
Other moral issues included:
- Abortion — Abortion issues showed up in concerns about health care as well as one straight-up, pro-life initiative.
Voters in three states — Arizona, Colorado and Oklahoma — voted on initiatives that would prevent individuals from being forced to participate in any health-care insurance plan, a key provision of the federal law widely called Obamacare.
Arizona voters approved its initiative by a 55–45 percent margin, while Oklahoma voters adopted its proposal by a two-to-one vote. Colorado voters appeared headed to rejecting its measure at press time.
These ballot measures along with the large wins in the Republican Party indicate the current health-care reform is growing more unpopular, said Richard Land, president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. “This was clearly a rejection at a basic level of the president’s economic policies and Obamacare,” he said. “However, it was not an affirmation of the Republican Party. It was a decision by a majority of the American people to give the Republicans one more chance to cut the size of government, cut government spending, and repeal and start over with health-care reform.”
In Colorado, Amendment 62, which would have added the term “person” to the state constitution’s Bill of Rights for “every human being from the beginning of biological development,” failed.
- Smoking — South Dakota voters voted to broaden the statewide smoking ban to include restaurants, bars, liquor stores, casinos and video lottery establishments.
- Gambling — A proposal to bring a resort casino to the southern Maine city of Oxford was unresolved at press time. (Baptist Press, TAB)
Share with others: