Results of interest from elsewhere in Texas and the country…
– Three of the ten Constitutional amendments were defeated, with Prop 4 losing by nearly 20 points. It drew strong opposition from anti-toll road activists, and I daresay that was the reason for the lopsided loss. The other two, Props 7 and 8, were pretty innocuous, and I have no real idea for why they went down.
– There was one special legislative election, to replace Fred Brown in HD14. Republicans Bob Yancey and John Raney will advance to the runoff for that seat.
– In New Braunfels, the can ban was upheld, and it wasn’t close.
The container ban ordinance, which goes into effect Jan. 1, was approved by 58 percent of the vote.
Ban supporters hailed the win as vindication of their claim that residents want the river protected from rowdy tourists and their litter.
“This was a landslide that can be disputed by no one,” said Kathleen Krueger, spokeswoman for Support The Ban. “New Braunfels has spoken loud and clear that we want to protect our rivers for the next generation.”
The lead spokesman for the opposition said the real issue was government transparency and vowed to continue the fight.
“I’m not disappointed,” said Mark McGonigal. “I have an opinion and so do other people. I knew one side would prevail. But the legality of this has yet to be determined.”
A lawsuit challenging the ordinance as illegal under state law, filed by a group of local business owners, is pending in state district court.
Nearly 9000 votes were cast in that referendum.
– Elsewhere in the country, there were a number of good results for progressives. Voters in Maine restored same day registration, while voters in Ohio repealed a law that would have curtailed collective bargaining rights. Each was a defeat for the state’s elected-in-the-2010-landslide Republican Governor. Mississippi voters rejected a radical “personhood amendment” that could have had far-reaching negative effects on reproductive choice. And finally, Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, the author of the anti-immigrant SB1070 and a notorious racist, was recalled by voters there. Small steps, but in the right direction.
One more you may have missed. Dayton, Texas just outside of Baytown decided to take a novel approach and have the voters vote BEFORE they would install the red light cameras. ATS was so furious the council would dare put it to a vote that they refused to show up for a scheduled presentation to the council meeting. 70% of the voters said NO to the red light camera installation. The voter revolt continues. Across the country another 7 cities in Ohio and Washington state voted against photo enforcement. Thanks again for your coverage Charles and for going to jury duty, we need more people who take jury duty seriously. Here’s the dayton story
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/dayton/news/dayton-voters-elect-brown-reject-red-light-cameras/article_5341a9af-2b94-59c0-9430-d21c742b6164.html?success=1
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