International Herald Tribune

Thursday, November 5, 1998

IN REFERENDUMS, AMERICANS PUSH GOVERNMENT BACK

The Associated Press

New York - Americans have spoken out on the basic: life, death and taxes.

And their message to the government is simple - leave us alone.

Voters casting ballots Tuesday on 235 statewide initiatives said they did not want the government to intrude in their lives, whether to limit abortions, deny medicinal marijuana to the seriously ill, or tell people where they could gamble.

Some also said "no" to one of the most decisive political issues of the 90s: affirmative action. Washington state, following a similar move by California two years ago, approved a measure to ban racial or sex preferences in government hiring and contracts and college admissions.

"They are clearly saying, ' We want to treat everybody equally,' " said Ward Cannery, the California business leader whose organization spearheaded passage of that state' s measure and helped plan and finance the Washington effort.

John Carlson, the conservative political commentator who led the campaign, said voters wanted to " look beyond what makes us different."

Election Day also brought big victories to a group whose previous election gains were stalled in courts: supporters of medical marijuana.

Voters in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada and Washington state approved the medical use of marijuana, which advocates say can help ease pain and nausea.

Nevada passed a constitutional amendment approving its use, pending a second "yes" vote in 2000. Washington' s endorsement came a year after voters voted a broader plan that some say would have left the door open to legalizing other drugs.

"We worked hard," said Rob Killian, the Seattle physician who sponsored the Washington measure, "to bring back a very tightly worded, specific medical marijuana initiative. It' s a model for the rest of the country."

Arizona voters reaffirmed their 1996 approval of a plan that makes legal the prescribing of medical marijuana and some other illegal drugs for seriously ill patients.

The Alaskan measure will shied users from most state and locals laws that forbid possession while protecting doctors who recommend its use.

In Oregon, where two-thirds of people vote by absentee ballot, early returns indicated medical marijuana would pass there, too, but the vote on a similar initiative in Washington DC, remained unknown. Election officials opted to keep results under cover because Congress, which controls the capital' s budget, opposes legalization and cut funding for the initiative after it appeared on the ballot.

Gambling supporters also were dealt a winning hand on Election Day.

Indian tribes in California won broad voter approval to continue running their casinos unhampered by state control. This marks "the first time that wealthy business interests have not been allowed to sacrifice the lives of Indians and future Indians to satisfy their greed," said Anthony Pico, chairman of the Viejas tribe in San Diego County.

Missouri voters approved lucrative slot machines on the so-called boats in moats. At issue was a 1997 state Supreme Court decision that the Missouri constitution did not permit slots on the boats, which are tethered in manmade lagoons, and that such games of chance could be played only on the main channels of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

Hunting and animal rights activist could both call themselves winners.

Cockfights were banned in Missouri and Arizona. California approved a ban on body-gripping steel traps to capture fur-bearing animals and outlawed the sale or export of horses intended to be slaughtered from human consumption.

But Alaska rejected a ban on wolf snares. Ohioans turned back a ban on the hunting of mourning doves and Minnesota became only the second state in the nation to pass constitutional protection for hunting and fishing.

Voters also dealt with two issues that have constantly been in the courts - abortion and the right to die.

Washington and Colorado rejected proposals to restrict the late-term procedure known by opponents as "partial-birth abortions," but Colorado approved parental notification for minors seeking abortions.

Michigan, meanwhile, rejected a plan that would have made the state - home to Dr. Jack Kevorkian - the second in nation with legalized physician-assisted suicide. Oregon remains the only state where doctors can prescribe lethal doses.

Gay rights advocates suffered setbacks from the voters. Hawaii moved closer to banning same-sex marriage, giving state lawmakers the go-ahead to write a prohibitive law. Alaskans voted a gay-marriage ban into their constitution.

South Caroline, meanwhile, erased the state' s 103-year-old constitutional ban on interracial marriage.

Taxes figured prominently in several states.

South Dakotans rejected a plan to prevent property tax revenues from financing schools. Nebraskans vetoed a proposal to limit the amount of money state and local governments could raise through taxes, and Coloradans said "no" to income-tax credit for parents of school-age children, whether in public or private school or taugh at home.

Massachusetts and Arizona agreed to give political candidates substantial public money if they voluntarily limit their spending and raise certain small contributions.

The Denver Broncos will get a new football stadium. The san Diego Padres will get a new ballpark. And Cincinnati voters removed and obstacle to a new stadium.

And Iowa and Florida became the first states in 22 years to pass measures acknowledging women' s equality, while New Hampshire retained all male pronouns in its constitution - despite having a female governor.