Florida, North And South Dakota Reject Pot Legalization; Paid Sick Leave Initiatives Pass In 3 States

The Washington Post: Florida Amendment To Legalize Recreational Marijuana Rejected
A measure to legalize the use of recreational marijuana in Florida failed on Tuesday, a stinging defeat for cannabis industry players who poured more than $100 million into the campaign to make the drug legal amid vocal opposition from Gov. Ron DeSantis. More than half of Florida voters approved of the measure, but it did not reach the 60 percent threshold needed to enshrine the initiative in Florida’s constitution. (Ovalle, 11/6)

Reason: Voters Reject Marijuana Legalization In North Dakota And South Dakota
Voters in two sparsely populated red states, North Dakota and South Dakota, have rejected ballot initiatives that would have legalized recreational marijuana. With nearly all ballots counted on Tuesday night, North Dakota's Initiated Measure 5 had received support from less than 48 percent of voters. South Dakota's Initiated Measure 29 was favored by about 42 percent of voters with three-quarters of ballots counted. Registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by more than 2 to 1 in South Dakota, where the GOP has controlled the governor's office and both chambers of the state legislature since 1995. (Sullum, 11/6)

WCVB Boston: Massachusetts Voters Reject Legal Use Of Psychedelics
Massachusetts voters on Tuesday rejected giving anyone over age 21 to use certain natural psychedelic substances, including so-called magic mushrooms, under licensed supervision. The law would have also allowed individuals to grow and possess limited quantities of those substances in their homes and would create a commission to regulate those substances. (Haynes, 11/6)

On paid sick leave —

Nebraska Examiner: Nebraskans Vote Yes To Requiring Employers To Provide Earned Paid Sick Leave 
Nebraska employers will now be required to provide earned paid sick leave for eligible employees, through a ballot issue that passed Tuesday. Advocates had estimated that 250,000 Nebraskans were working full-time without paid sick days, leaving them to face choices that included ignoring their illness and sending sick kids to school to avoid consequences such as missing a day’s pay. However, passage of Initiative 436 means that eligible employees now will have the right to earn sick time for personal or family health needs. The issue had about 75 percent support about 11 p.m. (Gonzalez, 11/5)

First Alert 4: MO Votes To Increase Minimum Wage, Require Paid Sick Leave
Missourians voted to increase the minimum wage and require paid sick leave. Voting “yes” on Proposition A meant you agreed to several things: increasing the minimum wage from $13 to $15 over the course of two years, allowing that increase to continue in 2027 and beyond based on the Consumer Price Index, requiring all employers to offer one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, and give the Department of Labor oversight for enforcing these new laws. There are exemptions built in for government employers and those working in public or private education. Missouri currently has the 16th highest minimum wage in the country. (11/6)

Alaska Beacon: Alaska Voters Favor Sick Leave Mandate With Most Votes Counted 
Alaska voters favored a ballot measure backed by labor unions by a margin of 12.46 percentage points with roughly 70% of the ballots counted early Wednesday. Voters weighed in on Ballot Measure 1, which would provide three new protections for workers: an increase in the minimum wage, a mandate for paid sick leave and protection against employer-required attendance at political or religious meetings or events unrelated to job duties. (Rosen, 11/6)

Also —

The Colorado Sun: Denver 2Q Results: Voters Appear To Approve Tax Increase For Denver Health
A Denver ballot measure to raise sales taxes in the city to support the city’s safety-net health system appeared headed for passage late Tuesday. Ballot Issue 2Q had 57% of the vote at 11:30 p.m. when Denver released its final batch of results for the night. The measure’s 57% yes to 43% no margin had remained consistent throughout the night. It needs 50% of the vote to pass. The measure proposed a 0.34% increase in the city’s sales tax rate — that’s 3.4 cents on a $10 purchase. It is expected to raise $70 million in its first year to fund Denver Health, which has seen its economic stability falter in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Ingold, 11/6)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Supreme Court Republican Justices Likely To Win Reelection
Three Republican justices appear likely to retain their seats on the all-GOP Texas Supreme Court, according to unofficial election results. ... The Republicans were the only three judges on the nine-person court up for reelection this cycle and their Democratic challengers cast them as out-of-touch with Texans for rulings that repeatedly upheld the state’s abortion restrictions. (Goldenstein, 11/6)