National NOW Times >> Spring 2009  >> Article

State Ballot Measures Give Reason to Cheer, Work Harder

By NOW Staff

In states across the country, citizens cast their votes on more than just candidates -- they weighed in on a number of issues important to feminists. When the results came in, we secured several strong wins and suffered a few heartbreaking losses.

For the second time in two years, residents of South Dakota were presented with a ballot initiative that threatened to take away women's abortion rights. And for the second time, voters rejected it by a double-digit margin, 55 to 45 percent. Some thought this year's initiative had a chance of passing because it added exceptions for rape, incest and a narrow health exception. The ban was designed to serve as a challenge to Roe v. Wade, so defeating it was a key victory.

In Colorado, the misleadingly-named "Colorado Equal Rights Amendment" was voted down by a resounding three-to-one margin. This effort aimed to amend the state constitution with an expanded definition of "person" that would include "any human being from the moment of fertilization." This "personhood" strategy is a deliberate attempt by the radical right to ban not just abortion but many common forms of contraception as well. Thanks to activists and groups like NOW working in the state, voters were well-informed on the issue and rejected it by 72 to 27 percent.

California's ballot included a parental notification measure, which failed for the third time in recent years – this time by a 52 to 48 vote. Proposition 4 would have amended the state constitution, forcing young women under 18 to notify a parent or legal guardian before terminating a pregnancy. With a message of protecting teen safety, NOW and our allies got the word out on Prop 4, and California voters rose to the occasion, voting for young women by voting against the amendment.

Marriage equality, however, experienced a stunning defeat in November, particularly in California. Voters also approved same-sex marriage bans in Florida and Arizona, and Arkansas passed a ban on unmarried couples adopting children that is not limited to same-sex couples.

Anti-equal opportunity crusader Ward Connerly attempted to place initiatives targeting affirmative action on ballots in five states. He failed to get his deceptive measures on the ballots in Arizona, Missouri and Oklahoma because of challenges from supporters of equal opportunity. However, in the two states where his misleadingly-named Civil Rights Initiatives did qualify, Nebraska voters cast their ballots for the measure (against affirmative action) while we narrowly defeated the anti-equality Colorado initiative.

"The new administration and new Congress offer promise for a new day on many feminist issues," said NOW President Kim Gandy. "With inspired leadership, we should be able to make considerable gains educating the public and instituting public policies to advance equality. In the future, we hope to defeat if not eliminate all of these discriminatory state initiatives."

Editor's Note: This is an abbreviated version of an earlier web story.