- An abortion rights measure failed in Florida and another failed in South Dakota. However, voters in several other states have passed similar initiatives.
- Florida voters also handed a rare defeat to marijuana legalization advocates.
- However, minimum wage increases remain popular, even in a red state like Missouri.
A proposed constitutional amendment to expand abortion rights in Florida has failed, the first of several such measures to fail since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.
The proposal, which would have allowed abortion in Florida up to the point of “fetal viability,” fell short of the 60 percent threshold needed for constitutional amendment.
A South Dakota measure that would have established a constitutional right to abortion also appeared to end in failure. However, abortion rights measures prevailed in Colorado, Maryland, Missouri and New York.
Missouris proposal would reverse the state’s near-total abortion ban and establish a constitutional “right to make and enforce decisions on all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage care and respectful birth conditions.” The amendment led with 55 percent of the votes, with about half of the votes having been counted.
Nebraskans faced competing abortion-related measures on Election Day. With about half of the votes counted, a measure to create a constitutional right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability was leading with 56 percent of the vote. An opposing measure to limit abortions after the first trimester failed to materialize.
Abortion-related measures also came up for consideration in Arizona, Montana and Nevada.
Legalization of marijuana
In another victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Florida conservatives, voters in the Sunshine State also rejected a constitutional amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana use. The measure received the support of 56 percent of voters and the counting was almost complete, but that was of course also less than the 60 percent threshold needed to pass.
DeSantis campaigned against the marijuana measure, saying public use of the drug would harm the quality of life in the state. “You should be able to be on the beach, you should be able to walk down the street, you should be able to be in public places without this permeating everywhere,” he said. said.
It was a rare rebuke of marijuana legalization. Nearly half of the states, 24 in total, have legalized recreational marijuana. with a majority of Americans who live in those states. Measures to legalize recreational marijuana were also up for a vote North Dakota And South Dakota on Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, voters weighed in on whether to pass Massachusetts the third state to legalize some psychedelic drugs. The measure was bad on the backwith about a quarter of the votes counted.
Minimum wage
It’s been more than a decade since the “Fight for $15” movement to raise the minimum wage took off with labor strikes organized by fast-food workers. Currently, seven states and the District of Columbia have adopted a minimum wage of $15 per hour or more. Voters in California, Alaska and Missouri voted this year on proposals to pass similar laws.
In Missouri, Proposition A would raise the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour by 2025 and $15 per hour by 2026. The measure was well ahead with approximately 40 percent of the votes having been counted.
The one from Alaska Voting measure 1 would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027 and require employers to provide employees with paid sick leave. California’s Proposition 32 would raise the state’s minimum wage to $18 an hour by 2026. The results were not available in those Western states as of 11 p.m. Eastern time.
Overall, wages have risen rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjusted for inflation, they are now at highest level in American history.