🙌 The legal reform candidates and issues that won last week
Last week wasn’t all Biden and Trump and Four Seasons Total Landscaping (it just seemed that way!). Several issues related to the law and criminal justice were on the ballot. Here’s a rundown of some key results:
Prop 22 in California: Voters approved a proposition negating an earlier law that essentially gave independent contractors the rights of full-time employees. Uber and Lyft are rejoicing and hoping other states follow suit.
Legal marijuana all over the place: Weed was by far the biggest winner in 2020. A vast majority of citizens voted to legalize it in Montana, South Dakota, New Jersey and Arizona. That brings the total of marijuana-friendly states to 15. Â
Decriminalized hard drugs in Oregon: People who possess small amounts of drugs like LSD, meth and heroin will no longer face jail time in Oregon. Voters approved a measure that gives drug users the option of paying a fine or attending an addiction recovery center.Â
Police oversight and criminal justice reform: Voters in cities such as Pittsburgh, San Diego and San Francisco voted to either expand or create civilian oversight boards and commissions for police departments. TIME has a rundown of various criminal justice reform victories and losses. And the ABA Journal notes that reform-minded prosecutors won in Texas, Michigan, Florida and elsewhere.