Voters choose Yes on progressive ballot referendums, countering conservative candidate choices.

::::::::

Unlike the November 4 election results, which seemed to confirm a Conservative bias -- if one discounts voter suppressive ID laws, gerrymandering from 2010, a tsunami of far Right Dark Money, the lack of many progressive candidate alternatives, etc. -- the individual ballot items voters approved show a more progressive vision, albeit one also imbued with distrust of government over-reach when it came to so-called gun rights, though Washington approved a measure requiring background checks.

3 out of 4 states and the District of Columbia approved some sort of Marijuana decriminalization or legalization: Alaska, Washington D.C., Oregon. Only Florida defeated such an amendment, even though 57% of voters approved legalizing Marijuana for medical reasons. However, 60% was needed for passage.

5 states approved minimum wage hikes, albeit sometimes several years out, including Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Nebraska, and South Dakota. In deep red South Dakota, voters even approved an annual inflation-adjusted minimum wage increase.

Although Tennessee approved "constitutional language empowering the legislature to enact, amend or repeal statutes regarding abortion," this really codifies the power the legislature already had (within limits of Federal laws and Supreme Court restrictions), it's not clear whether this had the effect of allowing for further restrictions on abortion, or expanding rights to abortion.

Planned Parenthood v. Sundquist

Amendment 1 supporters took issue with the Tennessee Supreme Court's 2000 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Sundquist. The court's ruling struck down multiple laws regulating abortion services, including:^[6]

Requirement that second-trimester abortions be performed in hospitals as opposed to clinics.

48-hour waiting period before receiving an abortion requirement.

Requirement of physician-only counseling before an abortion is performed.

Exemption to requirements only in circumstances where a woman's life is threatened.

Mandate to prove residency.

Supporters of Amendment 1 believed the measure would allow the legislature to enact whatever regulations and restrictions are permitted by the United States Supreme Court. As Sen. Mae Beavers said, "[The amendment] is meant to neutralize the 2000 Supreme Court decision." Some proponents interpreted the Planned Parenthood v. Sundquist ruling as stating that the Tennessee Constitution contained a stronger right to privacy and abortion than even the U.S. Constitution.^[7]

In any event, Colorado defeated a Personhood amendment, by a wide margin, and Illinois passed a measure to require contraceptives to be covered in prescription drug health plans.

Supporters of ending Government Financial Asset Hoarding, aka CAFR reform, found reason to celebrate Texas' overwhelming passage of Proposition 1, reallocating oil and gas revenues in its Treasurer's "Rainy Day Fund" to transportation infrastructure instead.

In spite of a general mood to reduce spending when it came to legislators' salaries, by not granting raises wherever allowed to choose, or prohibiting income taxes altogether (Tennessee), several states approved bond or spending issues for a number of special causes.

Alaska passed a measure to "Prohibit mining projects if harmful to wild salmon in fisheries reserve" by nearly a 2-1 margin.

California passed a $7.12 billion bond for a range of improvements to California's water system, while saving money by reducing most nonviolent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors, which would reduce populations in California's notoriously over-crowded prisons.

Florida passed a measure to provide funding of Land Acquisition.

Hawaii's voters authorized funding for early childhood education programs, agricultural enterprises, and dams and reservoirs.

Illinois voters authorized an income tax increase designed to raise a million dollars for more school revenue.

Louisiana voters authorized a Hospital Stabilization fund, and protected money for an artificial reef from being used for other purposes.

Perhaps Maine was the most ambitious state when it came to funding new initiatives, which included: $3 million in Business Loan Bonds, "$3 million in bonds to modernize and expand laboratory specializing in tissue repair and regeneration," "$7 million in bonds to facilitate growth of marine businesses," "$8 million in bonds to support agriculture, natural resources industries and human health monitoring," "$10 million in bonds to build a research center for genetic solutions to cancer and diseases of aging," and "$10 million in bonds to ensure clean water, protect drinking water and restore wetlands."

Rhode Island voters came close to Maine's ambitions with passage of measures to: issue a $35 million bond to fund artistic, historic and cultural centers, issue $53 million in bonds for environmental and recreational purposes, issue a bond of $125 million to construct a new College of Engineering building, and issue a $35 million bond to fund enhancements and renovations to mass transit hub infrastructure.

New York voters followed up on their Governor's recent initiative (after New York City Mayor de Blasio's strong initial push) to provide universal pre-school education and authorized $2 billion in new school bonds.

Even Republican Governor Chris Christie's state of New Jersey voters approved an amendment to dedicate 6% of corporate business taxes to open space preservation. Maybe New Jersey will finally fix up some of its Hurricane Sandy ravaged coastline now.

Massachusetts passed a measure to allow certain employees to earn and utilize sick days.

Nevada expanded defendant rights by creating a new appellate court.

Oregon continued its progressive tradition by passing an equal rights amendment, regardless of sex.

Following up on this year's acceptance of providing coverage to South Dakota residents through the Affordable Care Act, that state also passed a ballot measure to provide for patients to choose health care providers at no cost.

Even re-elected far-right Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will have to acquiesce to voters' overwhelming support to create a fund for state transportation systems.

So, it seems that when voters are directly asked what they want their states to do or spend money on, they don't see all government spending as wasteful, don't see the need for draconian criminalization laws, and are reasonable about when life begins and providing for contraception and abortion under most circumstances.

Perhaps this election wasn't so much about choosing conservative vs. liberal candidates, as it was about having choices, period. Ballot referendums have been shown to draw voters to the polls even when they are lackluster about voting for candidates. With more participation, comes, usually, more progressive voters. This election may contain hopeful lessons after all.

Authors Website: http://newthinking.blogspot.com/

Authors Bio:

Scott Baker is a Managing Editor & The Economics Editor at Opednews, and a former blogger for Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Global Economic Intersection.

His anthology of updated Opednews articles "America is Not Broke" was published by Tayen Lane Publishing (March, 2015) and may be found here:

http://www.americaisnotbroke.net/

Scott is a former and current President of Common Ground-NY (http://commongroundnyc.org/), a Geoist/Georgist activist group. He has written dozens of articles for Common Ground's national publication, GroundSwell, and has advocated for the Georgist Land Value Tax to public and political audiences.

A complete list of his publications can be found here:

Click Here

He is also New York State Coordinator and Senior Advisor for the Public Banking Institute

Click Here, which seeks to promote Public Banking. The PBI is chaired by another OEN blogger, Ellen Brown.
Scott has appeared on TV/Radio and in in-person Presentations to explain the principles of Georgism, Greenbacking, and State Banking. These may also be found on his personal blog: http://newthinking.blogspot.com/

Scott has a dozen progressive petitions on Change.org which may be found here:

http://chn.ge/10nUAmJ

Scott was an I.T. Manager for a major New York university for over two decades where he earned a Certificate for Frontline Leadership.

He had a video game published in Compute! Magazine: Click Here

Scott is a graduate and adjunct faculty of the Henry George School of Social Science in New York City.

Scott is a modern-day Renaissance Man with interests in economics, science and all future-forward topics.

He has been called an "adept syncretist" by Kirkus Discoveries for his novel, NeitherWorld - a two-volume opus blending Native American myth, archaeological detail, government conspiracy, with a sci-fi flair http://amzn.to/10nUoDV

Scott grew up in New York City and Pennsylvania. He graduated with honors and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and was a member of the Psychology honor society PSI CHI.

Today he is an avid bicyclist and ride co-leader in a prominent bike advocacy organization.

Technorati code: a72h4zxgud