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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/1-masthead-ballot-box.jpg\")
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<\/h3>\nGood News<\/strong><\/h3>\nWest Virginia<\/a> passed a state constitutional amendment to protect patients from assisted suicide. However, it was a squeaker — 50.4%.<\/p>\nJoining the trend<\/a> for states with state constitutions that abolish slavery – to remove the exception for those convicted of a crime: Nevada<\/a>.<\/p>\nMinimum wage increases<\/a> and paid sick leave<\/a> together passed in Alaska <\/a>and Missouri<\/a>. Paid sick leave alone passed in Nebraska<\/a>.<\/p>\nUpdating official language to be less dehumanizing passed by huge margins in Nevada<\/a> and North Dakota<\/a>. We’re concerned about this because practices of\u00a0dehumanizing can be lethal<\/a>, and even when they\u2019re less than lethal, they can be one of the root causes leading to violence against the targeted population. We’ve put this under “discriminatory practices” on our website. That’s our issue of opposing racism, but also expands to other marginalized groups – women, those with disabilities, etc.<\/p>\nOn abortion state constitutional amendments to enshrine it as a “right”:<\/p>\n
\n- It was defeated in Florida<\/a>, but only because it required 60% for a constitutional change and only got 57%..<\/li>\n
- In South Dakota<\/a>, it was defeated decisively, with 61% voting it down.<\/li>\n
- In Nebraska<\/a>, it was defeated, and the alternative measure that prohibits after the first trimester with the normal caveats (which is current state law) was passed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Bad News<\/h3>\n
State constitutional amendments<\/a> that overturn some form of abortion ban: Arizona<\/a>\u00a0and Missouri<\/a>. For Arizona, it was a decisive defeat. It was much closer in Missouri.\u00a0 Since Missouri only had one abortion facility left at the time Dobbs<\/em> came down, and since it has the example of neighboring Nebraska with its alternative amendment passing, and since the main pitch of the side for the amendment was “Missouri’s abortion ban goes too far,” without reference to how far that amendment went, it seems likely that Missourians will come up with another ballot measure for 2026.<\/p>\nAmendments that put the “right” to abortion in the constitution, but legal status was already secure in state law: Maryland<\/a>, Montana<\/a>, New York<\/a>, Nevada<\/a>. And\u00a0Colorado<\/a> passed abortion funding.<\/p>\nArizona<\/a> passed harsher rules on immigrants, who are often fleeing war or similar horrific violence<\/p>\nCalifornia<\/a> turned down a minimum wage increase, but that was to put it up to $18 per hour, which is far higher than other proposals. Current minimum wage is $16, which is also higher than most of the country.<\/p>\nSouth Dakota<\/a> trounced a move to change the language in its state constitution to be gender-neutral rather than masculine when not merely masculine is meant.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Overall Commentary by Our Issues<\/h3>\n
Euthanasia isn’t often on the ballot, and when it is, it’s usually to allow it where it’s currently not allowed under the euphemisms of “assisted suicide” or\u00a0 “medical aid in dying.” Fortunately, there were none of those on the ballot this year.\u00a0 There was a measure that took the opposite tack, protecting patients from it. This was framing the point well, and in West Virginia it did pass. But only by a small margin.<\/p>\n
The death penalty wasn’t on the ballot anywhere this year.<\/p>\n
War is rarely on the ballot, to the point that when we put measures under the war category, they can seem more ambiguous. Harsher treatment of immigrants could clearly go under either poverty or racism as well. We put it under war because so many immigrants are refugees are fleeing war, including gang war.\u00a0 But in Arizona, the measure passed.<\/p>\n
Poverty is mainly addressed in referendums with minimum wage raises. Also, we’re especially enamored of paid sick leave because of the long-standing link of family and medical leave to a more humane workplace that fosters fewer pressures to abort, as Henry Hyde explained eloquently<\/a>. These generally do well on the ballot, and all but one (California) passed this year.<\/p>\nRacism, expanded to “Discriminatory Practices” to include additional marginalized groups, included one trend that we’ve had before and will hopefully cover again: finally abolishing all slavery<\/a> by removing the exception for those convicted of a crime. This passed handily in Nevada this year. Another common trend is to update language for people with disabilities, and that passed handily in Nevada and North Dakota.<\/p>\nAs for the biggy, abortion, results are mixed. Though the media is likely to talk about how most of the “reproductive rights” measures passed, we can see that they mainly passed in places where pro-abortion sentiment is strong and their passage will cause no immediate difference whatsoever in the law. For those places with some sort of ban (that is, protection for children) in place, that ban remains in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota. That will by iffy in Florida since a majority did vote for it but not a large enough majority. But results were strong in Nebraska and even stronger in South Dakota.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
compiled by Rachel MacNair For details on the referendums and explanations of why consistent-lifers have an interest in them, see: Peace and Life Referendums Good News West Virginia passed a state constitutional amendment to protect patients from assisted suicide. However, it was a squeaker — 50.4%. Joining the trend for states with state constitutions… <\/p>\n
West Virginia<\/a> passed a state constitutional amendment to protect patients from assisted suicide. However, it was a squeaker — 50.4%.<\/p>\n Joining the trend<\/a> for states with state constitutions that abolish slavery – to remove the exception for those convicted of a crime: Nevada<\/a>.<\/p>\n Minimum wage increases<\/a> and paid sick leave<\/a> together passed in Alaska <\/a>and Missouri<\/a>. Paid sick leave alone passed in Nebraska<\/a>.<\/p>\n Updating official language to be less dehumanizing passed by huge margins in Nevada<\/a> and North Dakota<\/a>. We’re concerned about this because practices of\u00a0dehumanizing can be lethal<\/a>, and even when they\u2019re less than lethal, they can be one of the root causes leading to violence against the targeted population. We’ve put this under “discriminatory practices” on our website. That’s our issue of opposing racism, but also expands to other marginalized groups – women, those with disabilities, etc.<\/p>\n On abortion state constitutional amendments to enshrine it as a “right”:<\/p>\n State constitutional amendments<\/a> that overturn some form of abortion ban: Arizona<\/a>\u00a0and Missouri<\/a>. For Arizona, it was a decisive defeat. It was much closer in Missouri.\u00a0 Since Missouri only had one abortion facility left at the time Dobbs<\/em> came down, and since it has the example of neighboring Nebraska with its alternative amendment passing, and since the main pitch of the side for the amendment was “Missouri’s abortion ban goes too far,” without reference to how far that amendment went, it seems likely that Missourians will come up with another ballot measure for 2026.<\/p>\n Amendments that put the “right” to abortion in the constitution, but legal status was already secure in state law: Maryland<\/a>, Montana<\/a>, New York<\/a>, Nevada<\/a>. And\u00a0Colorado<\/a> passed abortion funding.<\/p>\n Arizona<\/a> passed harsher rules on immigrants, who are often fleeing war or similar horrific violence<\/p>\n California<\/a> turned down a minimum wage increase, but that was to put it up to $18 per hour, which is far higher than other proposals. Current minimum wage is $16, which is also higher than most of the country.<\/p>\n South Dakota<\/a> trounced a move to change the language in its state constitution to be gender-neutral rather than masculine when not merely masculine is meant.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Euthanasia isn’t often on the ballot, and when it is, it’s usually to allow it where it’s currently not allowed under the euphemisms of “assisted suicide” or\u00a0 “medical aid in dying.” Fortunately, there were none of those on the ballot this year.\u00a0 There was a measure that took the opposite tack, protecting patients from it. This was framing the point well, and in West Virginia it did pass. But only by a small margin.<\/p>\n The death penalty wasn’t on the ballot anywhere this year.<\/p>\n War is rarely on the ballot, to the point that when we put measures under the war category, they can seem more ambiguous. Harsher treatment of immigrants could clearly go under either poverty or racism as well. We put it under war because so many immigrants are refugees are fleeing war, including gang war.\u00a0 But in Arizona, the measure passed.<\/p>\n Poverty is mainly addressed in referendums with minimum wage raises. Also, we’re especially enamored of paid sick leave because of the long-standing link of family and medical leave to a more humane workplace that fosters fewer pressures to abort, as Henry Hyde explained eloquently<\/a>. These generally do well on the ballot, and all but one (California) passed this year.<\/p>\n Racism, expanded to “Discriminatory Practices” to include additional marginalized groups, included one trend that we’ve had before and will hopefully cover again: finally abolishing all slavery<\/a> by removing the exception for those convicted of a crime. This passed handily in Nevada this year. Another common trend is to update language for people with disabilities, and that passed handily in Nevada and North Dakota.<\/p>\n As for the biggy, abortion, results are mixed. Though the media is likely to talk about how most of the “reproductive rights” measures passed, we can see that they mainly passed in places where pro-abortion sentiment is strong and their passage will cause no immediate difference whatsoever in the law. For those places with some sort of ban (that is, protection for children) in place, that ban remains in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota. That will by iffy in Florida since a majority did vote for it but not a large enough majority. But results were strong in Nebraska and even stronger in South Dakota.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" compiled by Rachel MacNair For details on the referendums and explanations of why consistent-lifers have an interest in them, see: Peace and Life Referendums Good News West Virginia passed a state constitutional amendment to protect patients from assisted suicide. However, it was a squeaker — 50.4%. Joining the trend for states with state constitutions… <\/p>\n\n
Bad News<\/h3>\n
Overall Commentary by Our Issues<\/h3>\n