Referendum Results
Abortion ban fails in SD, Civil Rights Initiative passes in MI, Same-sex marriage fails in AZ
By Adam C Posted in 2006 — Comments (3) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Surprising many people, the Civil Rights Initiative banning race discrimination in MI in all public universities and other public activities passed by a strong margin with over 58% of the vote. MI joins CA and WA as states who have moved toward colorblindness in government, which means Justice O'Connor may be right that affirmative action will not be needed in 25 years.
Although it is close, it looks like AZ will be the first state to reject a same-sex marriage Constitutional amendment. It trails 49-51 right now with 96% of votes counted. TN (80%), SC (78%), ID (63%), WI (59%) VA (57%), CO (56%), and SD (52%) passed same-sex marriage bans.
The strict abortion ban in SD failed. 55% of SD voter rejected the abortion ban with only a life exception. Most of the debate was on the need for a rape and possibly a health exception. It's too bad this debate is all moot as this is democracy working on an issue that could use more democracy.
Also of note, minimum wage increases were voted up in several states.
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And I'm not talking about the abortion ban, but the marriage amendment. The abortion ban enacted by the legislature was always in trouble since it did not include the exceptions for rape and incest. I get the principled objections to those exceptions, but they are popular, and if the ban had included them, then the people would have supported it.
But the marriage amendment passing with only 52%? is a bit of a stunner, especially considering how much more liberal Wisconsin passed it with a much wider margin. I think proponents of preserving traditional marriage need to take not of how the Left/gay lobby did this. Instead of defending and advocating for gay marriage, or even full-blown civil unions for that matter, they resorted to lying about what these amendments would do. They tried to convince people that they would interfere with private contracts and benefits, and may even interfere with traditional marriage. And of course, they had big money advantages with which to engage in this duplicity.
With defeat in Arizona, and near defeat in solid-red South Dakota, pro-traditional marriage forces had better be better prepared to counter this next time around.
Just as every cop is a criminal, and all the sinners saints - Sympathy for the Democrats