Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Down-Ballot Results of Interest

In a pre-election post I identified several down-ballot contests that were of interest to those following religious issues. Here are the results from yesterday in those contests:
  1. Oklahoma Question 790 that would have amended the state constitution to eliminate the ban on use of public funds to support religious institutions was defeated-- 43% yes and 57% no.
  2. Missouri Constitutional Amendment 3 that would have imposed a cigarette tax to fund early childhood initiatives and would have exempted grants in the program from the ban on use of funds to support religious entities was defeated 59% to 41%.
  3. Montana Supreme Court candidate Kristen Juras whose conservative Christian religious beliefs became a campaign issue was defeated 56% to 44%.
  4. Ohio District 37 state legislature candidate Casey Weinstein sho had been a plaintiff in a suit against the U.S. Air Force Academy alleging Christian proselytizing lost 57% to 43%.
  5. In Missouri, Republican Attorney General candidate Josh Hawley who disagrees with the state's position in the Trinity Lutheran case now before the U.S. Supreme Court in which the state denied a playground grant to a church on state constitutional grounds won 59% to 41%.