Nov. 8, 2006
Stem Cells Win, Abortion Ban Defeated
Gay Marriage Is Banned In 7 Of 8 States; Minimum Wage Raises Also Win On State Ballots
-
Play CBS Video Video Lots Of Ballot Initiatives Stem cell research and anti-gay marriage initiatives were among those on ballots nationwide. Arizonans are voting whether to award a $1 million lottery prize to a lucky voter. Sharyn Alfonsi reports.
-
(AP / CBS)
-
Interactive The Supreme Court History, traditions and key cases, plus what it takes to get on the bench.
-
Interactive Abortion Debate It's one of the most hotly debated political and social issues in America. Review a history of that debate since the historic Roe v. Wade decision.
-
Interactive Same-Sex Marriage Debate State-by-state coverage, opinions, history, photos and a look at the amendment process.
The amendment to allow research using embryonic stem cells, which inspired a prominent Michael J. Fox television ad in support, became a lightning rod of national importance when commentator Rush Limbaugh attacked Fox's sincerity. The push to pass the referendum was a key factor in Missouri's crucial Senate race; Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill rode her support of the measure to take the seat of incumbent Republican Jim Talent, who opposed the measure.
Another controversial referendum, South Dakota' toughest-in-the-nation law that would have banned virtually all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest, was strongly defeated by voters.
That result was a tremendous blow to conservatives, as was Arizona, which became the first state to defeat a gay marriage ban.
Conservatives did prevail in seven states where voters approved constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage, though CBS News political analyst Sam Best notes that they didn’t pass with as great of a margin as such bans did in 2004.
"We’re getting closer to 50-50," he says. "It seems to suggest that people are warming to the idea."
Nationwide, a total of 205 measures were on the ballots in 37 states, but none had riveted political activists across the country like the South Dakota abortion measure. Passed overwhelmingly by the legislature earlier this year, it would have allowed abortion only to save a pregnant woman's life.
Lawmakers had hoped the ban would be challenged in court, provoking litigation that might eventually lead to a U.S. Supreme Court reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.
"This is a wake-up call to lawmakers in other states that America's pro-choice majority will not allow an assault on Roe v. Wade to go unanswered," said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Conservatives fared better with bans on gay-marriage, which won in seven states: Idaho, South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, South Dakota, Virginia and Wisconsin. Results were pending in Arizona, where it was trailing. Similar amendments have passed previously in all 20 states to consider them.
Colorado voters had an extra option: a measure that would grant domestic-partnership rights to same-sex couples. That was rejected.
Conservatives had hoped the same-sex marriage bans and other initiatives aimed at hot-button social issues like immigration might increase turnout for Republicans. Arizona passed four measures targeting illegal immigrants, including one making English the state's official language.
"In a lot of states across the country, the economy was an important factor," says Best. "The Bush administration is touting good economic conditions but voters don’t seem to be seeing that."
In fact, Democrats — who looked for a boost of their own among low-income voters by pushing measures to raise the state minimum wage — won those wage hikes in all six states: Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and Nevada.
Voters rejected a boost in the cigarette tax in California, where big tobacco companies spent more than $56 million fighting the increase that would have raised the average price of a pack of cigarettes to $6.55.
Missouri also rejected a cigarette tax hike. But in Arizona, where the measure was targeted to fund pre-school programs, the cigarette tax hike passed. South Dakota also approved a sharp increase in tobacco taxes.
In Ohio, anti-smoking activists won a showdown with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco. Voters approved a tough ban on smoking in public places and rejected a rival, Reynolds-backed measure that would have exempted bars, bowling alleys and racetracks.
The costliest ballot campaign — a state record of $133 million — was raised in the fight over California's Proposition 87. The proposal to tax companies drilling for oil in the state $4 billion to promote alternative fuels and energy-efficient vehicles was defeated.
Nevada and Colorado both rejected measures that would have legalized possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by anyone 21 and older.
Rhode Island voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Narragansett Indian Tribe and a Las Vegas-based gambling firm to build a casino in West Warwick. The vote marked the third major defeat on the gambling issue for the tribe and its corporate partner, Harrah's Entertainment.
Rhode Islanders supported a measure that would restore voting rights to felons on probation and parole.
Michigan voters decided to bar the state government from using race and gender to determine who gets into college, who gets hired and who receives contracts.
Elsewhere, land use was a hot issue, part of a backlash against a 2005 Supreme Court ruling allowing the city of New London, Conn., to buy up homes to make way for a private commercial development.
Eleven states considered eminent-domain measures barring the government from taking private property for a private use; Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Dakota and South Carolina approved them overwhelmingly.
Arizona approved a bill that would require governments to pay landowners when land use laws reduce their property value, but Idaho, Washington and California rejected similar measures.
Washington voters also rejected an attempt to repeal a recently-enacted tax on estates larger than $2 million.
South Dakota voters defeated a measure that would have made their state the first to strip immunity from judges, exposing them to the possibility of lawsuits. In Maine, Nebraska and Oregon, voters defeated measures that would cap increases in state spending.
In Arizona, voters were deciding on the most ballot measures — 19 — including four that stemmed from frustration over the influx of illegal immigrants. Four measures — expanding the list of government benefits denied to illegal immigrants, limiting lawsuit damages an illegal immigrant can win, denying them bail and making English the state's official language – all passed.
Voters weren't keen about another, more quirky Arizona measure: They defeated a proposal that would have awarded $1 million to a randomly selected voter in each general election.
By an overwhelming margin, Pennsylvania voters gave the state the go-ahead to borrow $20 million so that nearly 33,000 Pennsylvania veterans who participated in the Persian Gulf War can collect one-time payments of up to $525.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More From Politics
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
- 1
- 2
- 3
- next
See all 47 CommentsGod exists. He made the world and the rules, we did not. We must obey Him. One of His rules is thou shalt not kill. We are not to allow abortions. Along with the thou shalt not kill is not harming oneself or another. When a woman has an abortion, she is harmed. Those of you who have had an abortion need to know that what you did was wrong, you and your murdered child are important to God, that He forgives you through His Son, Jesus Christ, and that He loves you with a love so great that no human's love can compare to it. He wants us to stop all abortions. pjphlipot
I'm tired of you people telling other's how to live their lives!
Make sure you don't have anything in your closets to hide!
This life is a life, B-S!(can't see it,hear it,smell it).
If a life is so dang gone precious, and killing a child of YOUR "GOD" is a sin. Then tell me why it's ok to send "OUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN" to war!?
Your so Pro Life, you should be against this "Attacking to wrong group,and not bombing the real culprits money grubbing, Halliburton runned war".
War kills our gifts from "GOD".
If life is so precious, and abortion is wrong....adoption is the answer?
HA!
I'll tell you what!
All you Pro Life Christians go adopt all them precious gifts from "GOD",and close down every single orphanage in the USA!
And guess what,It will NEVER HAPPEN!
Why,because you're all phonies!
"What the difference between the Christan Reich and the Tali ban,nothing. It's their way or no way!")
"S"
V^^^^V
but you defend abortionists who don't even allow
babies to EVER live.
It is the pro-life people who have been yelling at the top of their voices: "LIVE AND LET LIVE!"
"They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
....40.Therefore the LORD was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. 41.He handed them over to the nations, and their foes ruled over them.
42.Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power. 43.Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. 44.But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry....47Save us,O LORD our God....." Has South Dakota and Missouri seen this?
for all you "Christians' out there pro choice. Psalms 139:16
there are plenty of references in the bible that show God hates the killing of the unborn.
For shame!
However, those traits do not give people a right to tell me what to think or how to live. I am not subhuman because I believe that two people that love each other, regardless of gender, and have built a life together deserve civil rights like married couples.
I believe people deserve to be treated equally even if they don't conform to the majority's religious beliefs and that individuals have a right to make decisions concerning themselves regardless of whether it is the "Christian" thing to do.
Taken away a woman's freedom to make decisions about HER body and HER life is exploiting women and treating them like objects. It is saying that a woman is not competent enough to lead her own life. It is saying that she MUST make that baby, like that's what we were put here to do. THAT is making women feel like objects. In my eyes, fighting for the right to choose on an issue like abortion means I have a hell of a lot of self respect. I respect myself WAY too much to let someone who DOESN'T KNOW ME to tell me what I should do with my life and my body. Millions of Pro Choice women will openly admit that they themselves would never have an abortion. I wouldn't. But I would NEVER want someone telling me what is best for me when they know nothing about me. All we really own is our bodies. Why should I let ANYONE take that away from me?
My point is birth control is not an infallible option to pregnancy and abstinence while it guarantees a pregnancy is impossible the practice of it is relatively nonexistent. So for a few that 1% is representative. The majority of unplanned pregnancies though do not practice proper safe guards to avoid it.
Instead of wasting time and energy in attempting to ban abortions lets better spend our time and money in teaching our young people the benefits of safe ***. Let%u2019s provide a secure and hostile free environment that will allow women to receive birth control and contraceptives.
Even with all this there would still be unplanned pregnancies, it is unavoidable. So this leave 2 choices abortion or take the pregnancy to term, which more than likely will require assistance from a government welfare program. You state ban both, leaving the only option of abstinence. This is a typical anti-abortion and religious stance, ignoring the fact that no matter how hard they try they will never stop people from having s e x.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- next
See all 47 Comments