4 States Opt To Raise Minimum Wage; 6 Loosen Marijuana Laws

Newsbeat

While votes are still being counted, some high-profile ballot initiatives already have returned clear results — including a slew of states opting in favor of medical or recreational marijuana, and several more raising the minimum wage. You can see our full list of key ballot measures here, or check out a sample of the highlights. Legalizing marijuana, either medicinally or recreationally. In short, Florida, Arkansas and North Dakota legalized (or greatly expanded legal access to) medical marijuana, while Massachusetts, Nevada and California legalized recreational marijuana. Raising the minimum wage: Maine, Arizona, Colorado and Washington all voted to increase the minimum wage to at least $12 an hour by 2020. Washington approved a raise to $13.50 an hour by 2020; Colorado calls for $12 by 2020, but with the wage pegged to the cost of living after that. In South Dakota, a ballot initiative called for lowering the minimum wage for non-tipped employees under 18, but it was roundly rejected by voters, with more than 70 percent opposing it. Death penalty: Oklahoma and Nebraska both voted in favor of the death penalty. In Oklahoma, a referendum declared that the death penalty is not considered cruel and unusual punishment in the state; in Nebraska, voters opted to overturn a bill that eliminated the death penalty. We're still waiting for results on California's two competing death penalty initiatives; one would end the death penalty and the other speed up the process. Strengthening gun control measures: In Washington, voters approved a firearms access measure. As we've previously reported, it would "allow people to get a court order that would temporarily ban people who show signs of mental illness or violence or another behavior that might indicate that they could harm themselves or others from possessing firearms."