Colorado and Washington states have a new source of tax revenue and voters in red states really dislike the individual mandate.
Those were the most striking results from two of the top 10 health issues that state voters decided on Tuesday.
- Physician assisted suicide: The death with dignity measure in Massachusetts failed by 38,463 with 93% of the results in.
- The individual mandate: Voters in four states got to give their opinion of the part of Obamacare that encourages personal responsibility. Only Floridians shot down a ban on requiring people to buy health insurance. Voters in Alabama, Montana and Wyoming all agreed with the ballot measures that said no one should force them to plan for the future and buy health insurance. In Missouri, voters approved a measure that requires legislative approval or a statewide vote to create a health insurance exchange.
According to the St. Louis Beacon, Sen. Scott Rupp said he doubts that lawmakers will exercise their new authority and vote to create a health insurance exchange in Missouri. He said this will give Missouri businesses an advantage over surrounding states because businesses will not be subject to penalties. - Abortion: Floridians voted down an amendment to the state constitution that would prohibit the use of public funding for abortions. Montana voters approved a parental notification law for teenagers 16 or younger seeking an abortion.
- Legalizing marijuana: The biggest news was from Colorado and Washington where pot is now legal for anyone to buy. In Colorado, tax revenue from this new source will go to schools. Oregonians defeated a similar measure. A medical marijuana proposals failed in Arkansas, but succeeded in Massachusetts and Montana.
- Gay marriage: Voters in Maryland, Washington and Maine supported marriage equality and Minnesotans voted against amending their state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. In Maryland and Washington, citizens were voting in favor of a law passed by the legislators, while Maine residents became the first state to legalize gay marriage by voter initiative.
- Genetically modified food: In California, foods that contain genetically modified ingredients will not have to announce that fact on a new label.
- Condom rule in California: Voters decided that actors in straight porn films will have to wear condoms. Apparently actors in gay porn movies have been following this rule for some time already.
- Home healthcare workers: Proposal 4, which would create a Michigan Quality Home Care Council and provide limited collective bargaining rights to home health care workers, was headed for defeat 67%-33%.
- Public smoking ban: North Dakotans approved this.
- Animal cruelty: They did not approve this measure that would make certain kinds of animal abuse a felony.
President Obama won, and exit polls showed that people were evenly split on the value of Obamacare.
[Map from UpWorthy]
