Social Politics — States Take Positions
All the publicity has gone to the major party politics and the election of President-elect Obama. But social politics — mostly ignored by journalists and tv talking heads — were busy topics in state elections on November 4. For example:
South Dakota rejected a measure which would have banned most abortions in the state; Colorado voted down a measure which would have defined life as “beginning at conception”. California’s measure requiring parental notification when performing abortions on minors (Proposition 4) was narrowly defeated.
Gay marriage was on the ballot in California and Arizona. California voters approved a constitutional ban on gay marriage (Proposition 8); Arizona defined marriage as a contract between a man and a woman (Proposition 102). Arkansas voters determined unmarried cohabiting couples (including same sex couples) as unable to serve as adoptive or foster parents.
Embryonic stem-cell research was approved in Michigan.
Washington joined Oregon in legalizing physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill.
Marijuana, anyone? Massachusetts voted to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. Michigan approved medical marijuana for people with debilitating illness. (California, on the other hand, rejected a proposal similar to the Massachusetts decriminalization action.)
Again, our national quilt is a patchwork — particularly on social politics.