THE 'PROGRESSIVES' ARE WINNING

Voters Back Legalized Drugs, Higher Wages, Voting Restrictions 

State ballot initiatives also covered abortion, wolf introductions, gambling and sex education

 

By Jacob Gershman

 

The Wall Street Journal

November 4, 2020

 

Voters on Tuesday approved measures favoring legalizing drugs, raising the minimum wage and keeping noncitizens from casting ballots, among dozens of other ballot initiatives before the electorate.

With the approval of Measure 110, Oregon became the first state to eliminate criminal penalties for possession of hard drugs. Possessing small quantities of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, MDMA (ecstasy) or psilocybin (the psychedelic ingredient in magic mushrooms) will be a civil violation carrying a small fine that can be waived upon completion of a health assessment with an addiction-treatment professional. The measure, which also reduces criminal penalties for possession of larger amounts of illicit drugs, won close to 60% of the vote. Selling and manufacturing drugs is still a crime.

Separately, Oregon voted to increase its cigarette tax from $1.33 per pack to $3.33 per pack and to establish a tax on e-cigarettes.

Four more states—Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota—voted to legalize recreational marijuana. They join 11 other states, along with the District of Columbia, that have made it legal for adults to possess limited amounts of pot for personal use.

The race between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden is closer than polls had suggested. WSJ's Gerald F. Seib explains how voters such as Hispanics in Florida and suburban women in Arizona highlight a deepening political divide.

In Florida, voters overwhelmingly backed a significant minimum wage hike. Amendment 2 raises the state’s minimum wage incrementally from $8.56 to $15 by September 2026. Florida is the eighth state to adopt a $15 wage, but the first to raise the wage floor that high through a ballot measure.

Voters split on two abortion measures. Colorado rejected a measure that would have made it a misdemeanor to perform abortions after the gestational age of the fetus reaches 22 weeks, with safety exceptions. Seventeen other states restrict abortions at the same point in pregnancy, according to the abortion research group Guttmacher Institute. Colorado remains among a handful lacking a law linking fetal age to restrictions.

In Louisiana, voters supported adding constitutional language stating that “nothing in this constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.” The amendment could make it harder for Louisiana judges to strike down abortion restrictions in the event that the U.S. Supreme Court give states more latitude to regulate the procedure.

Constitutional amendments enshrining the exclusion of non-U. S. citizens from voting won easily in Alabama, Colorado and Florida. In all states, citizenship is a requirement for voting. But until now, only Arizona and North Dakota had constitutional provisions that unambiguously limited voting rights to “only U.S. citizens.”

In Colorado, a measure that would release gray wolves into the state’s western wild lands was close between those in favor and opposed, as of Wednesday morning.

Colorado’s wolf population was largely exterminated more than 70 years ago, rebounding in numbers in recent years in other continental regions. Supporters of Proposition 114 said reintroducing wolves to Colorado would help ease deer and elk overpopulation, but they faced strong resistance from ranchers and farmers fearing wolves would harm their livestock.

California voters rejected a measure to restore affirmative action policies in the state and exempted gig-economy companies from a state labor law, a win for Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc. and DoorDash Inc. and other gig giants that spent around $200 million promoting its passage. Voting on a measure that would subject inherited property to higher taxes was too close to call.

Mississippi has a new state flag, replacing a 126-year-old design that bore a large Confederate battle emblem, after a large majority of voters endorsed a new design decorated with a magnolia and stars and includes the phrase “In God We Trust.” The state’s voters also approved a measure that triggers a runoff if a candidate doesn’t receive a majority vote, a change to a Jim Crow-era election provision that had the state Legislature decide.

Florida voters decided against switching to an open primary system for state offices, which would have allowed voters to choose a primary regardless of their political affiliation. And efforts to expand ranked-choice voting for some federal offices to statewide elections in Massachusetts and Alaska also appeared to stall, according to vote tallies in both states.

The system of picking candidates in order of preference is used in several cities and in some primaries, but only Maine currently uses it in statewide regular elections.

The Associated Press hasn’t called the results of either ballot measure, though proponents in Massachusetts conceded defeat. In Alaska, where the measure would also change the primary system, “no” votes were leading 56.8% to 43.2% with 51% of precincts reporting, according to the AP.

In the state of Washington, voters rejected an attempt to repeal a new law requiring public schools to provide “age-appropriate” comprehensive sexual-health education to public students. And Nebraska voters gave a thumbs-up to authorizing casino gambling at horse racetracks.