Silver Lining, part two

[sophiaserpentia]

A couple of election results from Nov. 2 are actually worth cheering about (for those of us who, uh, otherwise found little to cheer about). First this, which I read in the Boston Globe:

In the immediate aftermath of enacting civil unions, an antigay campaign called "Take Back Vermont" swept the state. ... And in the 2000 elections, it worked, sending 17 pro-civil union incumbents back home. But Democrats ... worked to recruit strong candidates. And on Tuesday, 17 legislative seats were picked up, all of them supporting civil unions, with three of them openly gay.

...In East Haven, Conn., the antigay Family Institute of Connecticut focused on running a candidate to oust Representative Mike Lawlor, the Assembly's strongest supporter of marriage equality. ... Lawlor won by a 5-to-1 margin. Additionally, two vitriolic antigay incumbents were defeated, proving that voters had lost patience with a message of discrimination.

In Massachusetts, Senator Marian Walsh won reelection despite being targeted for opposing a constitutional amendment to deny marriage rights. In another marriage-dominated race, Representative Kathy Teahan easily beat back a challenge by former representative Ned Kirby, who is best remembered for his constant antigay attacks. ... In short, all 50 pro-equality incumbents won reelection, and of the eight open seats, six were won by those who oppose a discriminatory constitutional amendment.

from Gay marriage is not to blame

Secondly, on the friend's list the other day, I saw this (I can't recall who posted it, anyone want to fess up?):

Proposals to reform marijuana laws racked up record-setting vote totals across the country Tuesday, leaving reformers cheering despite a few setbacks.

Montana voters approved a medical marijuana measure, Initiative 148, by an overwhelming 62% to 38...

In Alaska, Measure 2 scored the highest vote percentage ever achieved by a statewide proposal to abolish marijuana prohibition entirely and replace it with a system of regulation.

... Efforts to replace prohibition with regulation got a huge boost from Oakland voters, who approved Measure Z by 64% to 36%.

... In Ann Arbor, Michigan, voters overwhelmingly passed a local medical marijuana initiative, Measure C, 74% to 26%. In August, Detroit voters passed a similar measure by a 60% to 40% margin.

Voters in Columbia, Missouri, gave big wins to two separate reforms: A medical marijuana proposal, Proposition 1, passed by 69% to 31%; and Proposition 2, which replaces jail time with a maximum $250 fine for marijuana possession, also received a solid endorsement with 61% of the vote.

With advocates gearing up to lobby for medical marijuana bills in legislatures around the country next year, Vermont voters showed officeholders the danger of opposing such reforms. Vermonters handed stunning defeats to three leading opponents of that state's medical marijuana law-passed by the legislature earlier this year after a contentious, three-year battle.

... Massachusetts voters passed 12 of 12 advisory referenda on marijuana policy reform: five in support of medical marijuana, six in support of making marijuana a civil offense similar to a traffic ticket, and one in support of taxing and regulating marijuana.

from At Least 17 of 20 Marijuana Initiatives Pass; Montana Becomes 10th Medical Marijuana State

Lastly, the courts are starting to make the United States look like a democracy again, at least a little, with their rulings opposing the Bush Administration's attempts to imprison people in a hole without access to due process. (This, even though Darth Sideous John Ashcroft is going to be replaced by Darth Vader the man who wrote a 2002 Justice Department memo calling the Geneva Convention "quaint" and suggesting ways around it.)

Comments

[pandoralsu.livejournal.com]

"one in support of taxing and regulating marijuana"

I just want to know how they plan on doing this? Should I be packing my bags and moving to Boston to finally use that Hash Bar business plan I wrote ages ago?