Election 2008: New Laws in Your State

[OtterXO]

Originally Posted by SAEalumnus

California had 12 propositions on the ballot. Excluding bond acts, those that passed are:

Prop 2 - Standards for Confining Farm Animals;
Prop 8 - Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry; and
Prop 9 - Criminal Justice System. Victims' Rights. Parole.
(Links are to the official Voter Information Guide from the CA Secretary of State's website.)

Another one that may pass is Prop 11 - Redistricting, but the vote is too close to call until the absentee ballots are tallied.

Election return results are available here, which show in the case of Prop 8 a total of 5,387,939 votes for and 4,883,460 against (as of the time of this post).

The immediate background on this measure stems from Prop 22 in the 2000 election which passed (61.4% approval) and created section 308.5 of the California Family Code: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court invalidated the statute, ruling it as a violation of the equal protection clause of the state's constitution. Proposition 8 was written to insert the same wording as Prop 22 directly into the constitution.

I'm happy Prop 2 passed. I'm sure I'm going to be paying a little more for meat and dairy but I'm fine with that.

I'm SO anti-Prop 8 that I probably shouldn't even discuss it on here in detail for risk of starting a war. Let's just say that I'm disgusted with 52.5% of my fellow Californians. It's a sad day for civil rights in California.

[BetteDavisEyes]

Originally Posted by OtterXO

I'm SO anti-Prop 8 that I probably shouldn't even discuss it on here in detail for risk of starting a war. Let's just say that I'm disgusted with 52.5% of my fellow Californians. It's a sad day for civil rights in California.

I'm with you. I'm so angry and in disbelief that people in this state would vote this way. I'm truly disgusted.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by BetteDavisEyes

I'm with you. I'm so angry and in disbelief that people in this state would vote this way. I'm truly disgusted.

I agree. I was watching Headline News and they had 'statistics' on how people would vote/voted on Prop 8. I guess they polled people, and all but one of the different groups they polled (whites, blacks, college students, asians, etc) voted against Prop 8. The only group that voted in favor of Prop 8 was African-Americans (with 69% wanting yes on prop 8).

Then they made the wild claim that it was because of Obama that "yes on prop 8" succeeded. That because so many African-Americans were going out to vote that it pushed the "yes on prop 8" vote higher. I was just kinda like

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by epchick

I agree. I was watching Headline News and they had 'statistics' on how people would vote/voted on Prop 8. I guess they polled people, and all but one of the different groups they polled (whites, blacks, college students, asians, etc) voted against Prop 8. The only group that voted in favor of Prop 8 was African-Americans (with 69% wanting yes on prop 8).

Then they made the wild claim that it was because of Obama that "yes on prop 8" succeeded. That because so many African-Americans were going out to vote that it pushed the "yes on prop 8" vote higher. I was just kinda like

Not an outrageous claim at all. Black people saw an 8% increase in turnout this year while young people increased only 1%.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

Not an outrageous claim at all. Black people saw an 8% increase in turnout this year while young people increased only 1%.

It is an outrageous claim if you are going to solely put the blame on either the African American vote or on Obama himself (which is what the newscasters were doing). Plenty of non-African Americans voted "yes" on Prop 8, and plenty of African Americans voted "no" on prop 8.

Of course, Obama clearly has nothing to do with the vote at all.

[RU OX Alum]

what was prop 4?

[OtterXO]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

what was prop 4?

If it passed it would have prohibited abortions for minors until 48 hours after parental/legal guardian notification. Basically a waiting period for abortions for minors.

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by OtterXO

If it passed it would have prohibited abortions for minors until 48 hours after parental/legal guardian notification. Basically a waiting period for abortions for minors.

wow,

thank you for clairifying.

[Jill1228]

Originally Posted by OtterXO

I'm SO anti-Prop 8 that I probably shouldn't even discuss it on here in detail for risk of starting a war. Let's just say that I'm disgusted with 52.5% of my fellow Californians. It's a sad day for civil rights in California.

Yeah, that! Girl, I was too thru! Legal bigotry at its best (or worst)