State Voters Ease Pot Laws, OK Affirmative Action Ban and Right to Die
The ban on gay marriages approved by California voters yesterday was one of several measures on state ballots that touched on legal issues.
The Wall Street Journal Law Blog summarized several major ballot initiatives. According to the blog, voters:
• Approved constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage in Arizona and Florida, as well as in California.
• Decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in Massachusetts and permitted the use of medical marijuana in Michigan.
• Allowed physicians in Washington to prescribe lethal doses of medicine to terminally ill residents.
• Passed a constitutional amendment in Nevada barring affirmative action by public agencies in awarding contracts, hiring employees and awarding scholarships.
In other referenda, voters:
• Rejected abortion bans in South Dakota and Colorado, according to Reuters.
• Passed a constitutional amendment requiring crime victims to be notified of public proceedings and allowing more input in all phases of the criminal justice process, according to the Sacramento Bee.
• Required more humane treatment of farm animals in California, according to the Sacramento Bee.
The Initiative and Referendum Institute has more news on the 153 ballot propositions before voters.
Hat tip to Crime and Justice News.
