Ballot initiatives dealt blow to conservatives

[ProSense]

Stem Cells Win, Abortion Ban Defeated

Gay Marriage Is Banned In 7 Of 8 States; Minimum Wage Raises Also Win On State Ballots

Nov. 8, 2006

(CBS/AP) A Missouri ballot initiative to promote stem cell research, a topic that blew up into a national controversy over the reach and effectiveness of political ads, was approved by voters last night by a margin of 51-49.

The amendment to allow research using embryonic stem cells, which inspired a prominent Michael J. Fox television ad in support, became a lightning rod of national importance when commentator Rush Limbaugh attacked Fox's sincerity. The push to pass the referendum was a key factor in Missouri's crucial Senate race; Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill rode her support of the measure to take the seat of incumbent Republican Jim Talent, who opposed the measure.

Another controversial referendum, South Dakota' toughest-in-the-nation law that would have banned virtually all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest, was strongly defeated by voters.

That result was a tremendous blow to conservatives, as was Arizona, which became the first state to defeat a gay marriage ban.

Conservatives did prevail in seven states where voters approved constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage, though CBS News political analyst Sam Best notes that they didn’t pass with as great of a margin as such bans did in 2004.

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In fact, Democrats — who looked for a boost of their own among low-income voters by pushing measures to raise the state minimum wage — won those wage hikes in all six states: Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and Nevada.

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Elsewhere, land use was a hot issue, part of a backlash against a 2005 Supreme Court ruling allowing the city of New London, Conn., to buy up homes to make way for a private commercial development.

Eleven states considered eminent-domain measures barring the government from taking private property for a private use; Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Dakota and South Carolina approved them overwhelmingly.

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[Arugula Latte]

1. So stem cell reserach won finally! Yay!

That was too close (what is fucking WRONG with the 49 percent who voted against it? ... oh, wait, let me guess ... relligious extremism). But I'm glad it won in the end! :woohoo:

The abortion ban going down is beyond great!