In Brief:
- Abortion rights measures failed in Florida and South Dakota. However, voters in several other states passed similar initiatives.
- Florida voters also delivered a rare defeat to supporters of marijuana legalization.
- Minimum wage increases, however, remain popular, even in a red state such as Missouri.
Proposed constitutional amendments to expand abortion rights failed in Florida and South Dakota, the first of several such measures to be defeated since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.
The Florida proposal, which would have allowed abortion up to the point of “fetal viability,” fell short of the 60 percent threshold needed for constitutional amendments. The South Dakota measure, which would have established a constitutional right to abortion, was soundly defeated, with roughly 61 percent of the voters opposing it.
In Nebraska, where voters faced competing abortion-related proposals, a measure to restrict abortions after the first trimester appeared headed for passage. The other measure, creating a constitutional right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability, was trailing with 49 percent of the vote.
However, abortion rights measures prevailed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada and New York, and a measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the Montana constitution was leading.
Missouri’s proposal would overturn the state's near-total abortion ban and establish a constitutional “right to make and carry out decisions about all matters relating to reproductive health care, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions.” With 98 percent of the ballots counted, the amendment was ahead with 52 percent of the vote.
Marijuana Legalization
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 had the support of 56 percent of voters, with counting nearly completed, but of course that was also short of the 60 percent threshold needed to pass.
DeSantis campaigned against the marijuana measure, saying public use of the drug would harm quality of life in the state. “You should be able to be on the beaches, you should be able to walk down the street, you should be able to be in public places without having this permeate everywhere,” he said.
It was a rare rebuke of marijuana legalization. Nearly half of the states, 24 in all, have legalized recreational marijuana, with a majority of Americans living in those states. Measures to legalize recreational marijuana were also on the ballot in North Dakota and South Dakota on Tuesday, and both appeared headed for defeat.
Also on Tuesday, voters weighed in on whether to make Massachusetts the third state to legalize some psychedelic drugs. The measure was trailing badly with about 88 percent of the vote counted.
Minimum Wage
It’s been over a decade since the “Fight for $15” movement to increase the minimum wage got off the ground with labor strikes organized by fast-food workers. Currently, seven states and the District of Columbia have adopted minimum wages of $15 per hour or more. Voters in Alaska, California and Missouri voted this year on proposals to adopt similar laws.
In Missouri, Proposition A, which would raise the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour in 2025 and $15 per hour in 2026, passed with 58 percent of the vote.
Also winning passage was Alaska’s Ballot Measure 1, which would raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027 and require employers to provide paid sick time to workers.
Proposition 32 in California would raise the state minimum wage to $18 per hour in 2026. It was too close to call in early returns.
In general, wages have grown quickly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjusted for inflation, they’re now at the highest level in U.S. history.
This article has been updated with early-morning voting results.
