It can’t be viewed as anything other than a big night for Democrats.
Voters in two states overwhelmingly rejected measures that would have had far reaching implications across the American public and for the 2012 elections. Voters in Ohio easily overturned Gov. John Kasich’s labor law that eliminated most public worker’s collective bargaining rights. 63% of voters chose to restore the rights eliminated by the law such as the right to collective bargain, strike and negotiate health and retirement benefits.
Mississippi voters also turned what was estimated to be a close vote into a rout. Amendment 26, which would have defined life as beginning at the moment of conception instead of birth, failed to pass by a 58% to 42% margin. Similar measures like the one in Colorado have failed in the past but advocates vow that the fight is not over.
After losing a number of seats in the 2010 midterm elections, this could be a sign that momentum is swinging back in the blue party’s favor. Collective bargaining rights should never have been eliminated under any circumstance (I still hold out hope that Wisconsin will overturn Scott Walker’s law). Amendment 26 would have had far-reaching consequences for abortion and birth control and several questions would have remained had the measure passed like what happens in the case of rape victims or what happens if the mother’s life is at risk. It might be better to debate these issues before putting something like this into law.
Regardless, this is a big win for Democrats. Let’s hope the momentum continues!
The Ranting Liberal 