Home Christian News Religious Freedom Dismissed in Nevada, Arkansas; Legal Marijuana Results Vary

Religious Freedom Dismissed in Nevada, Arkansas; Legal Marijuana Results Vary

Efforts to legalize marijuana failed in Arkansas with 56.26 percent rejecting the measure, in North Dakota with 54.95 percent against and in South Dakota with 53 percent of voters rejecting the measure, according to the respective secretaries of state.

Five states – Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont – sought to remove from their constitutions outdated racist language that authorizes slavery or involuntary servitude as punishment for crimes. All succeeded except Louisiana, according to election results from the respective states.

The Louisiana measure failed after its sponsor, Democratic State Rep. Edmond Jordan, urged voters to reject it because of the measure’s wording. The Louisiana Black Caucus and Democratic members of the state house also opposed the measure.

“Because of the ambiguity of how it was drafted, I’m asking that people vote against it, so that we can go and clean it up with the intent of bringing it back next year and making sure that the language is clear and unambiguous,” Ballotpedia quoted Jordan in advance of the vote. “Regardless of what happens, we’re going to have to bring it back to get it cleared up either way.”

In other statewide ballot questions:

  • Tennesseans, with 63 percent of the vote, removed an unenforced constitutional provision prohibiting clergy and priests from serving in the state legislature, Secretary of State Tre Hargett reported.
  • Californians rejected two gambling measures, with 70.1 percent of voters rejecting sports wagering on tribal lands and 83.3 percent of voters rejecting online sports wagering outside of tribal lands, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber reported.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.