Keep in mind, elections for national office are not the only races that conservatives need to be watching. There are ballot initiatives all over the country that will advance limited government and social responsibility. Although not all of these will pass and some are actually not expected to, the fact that they are on the ballot at all is a triumph of state-based conservative organization. Here's a brief roundup of some of the important ones:
California's Proposition 8 will roll back the state Supreme Court's activist decision to allow gay marriage with straightforward language: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."
Oregon's Measure 58 will make English the official language in public schools and limit bilingual education to a certain number of years in order to immerse and integrate immigrant students in American culture.
Arizona's Proposition 101, the Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act, aims to retain individuals' right to determine their healthcare choices, and states that "No law shall be passed that restricts a person's freedom of choice of private health care systems or private plans of any type."
Nebraska's Measure 424 and Colorado's Amendment 46 are civil rights measures that aim to prohibit affirmative action, the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative. They both ban preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
South Dakota's Measure 11 would prohibit all abortions unless they are medically necessary to protect the health of the mother or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.
Massachusetts' Question 1 would reduce the state personal income tax rate initially to 2.65% and then eliminate it entirely by 2010.
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