Same- sex marriage OK’D in 2 states

Recreational pot legalized in others

Voters a continent apart made history Tuesday on two divisive social issues, with Maine and Maryland becoming the first states to approve same- sex marriage by popular vote while Washington state and Colorado legalized recreational use of marijuana.

The outcomes in Maine and Maryland broke a 32state streak, dating back to 1998, in which gay marriage had been rebuffed by every state that held a vote on it. They will become the seventh and eighth states to allow same- sex couples to marry.

“For the fi rst time, voters in Maine and Maryland voted to allow loving couples to make lifelong commitments through marriage — forever taking away the right- wing talking point that marriage equality couldn’t win on the ballot,” said Chad Griffin of the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay- rights group.

Washington state also was voting on a measure to legalize same- sex marriage, while Minnesota voters were considering a conservative- backed amendment that would ban on same- sex marriage in the state constitution.

The outcomes in the four states could possibly infl uence the U. S. Supreme Court, which will soon be considering whether to take up cases challenging the law that denies federal recognition to same- sex marriages.

The marijuana measures in Colorado and Washington set up a showdown with the federal government, which outlaws the drug.

Colorado’s Amendment 64 will allow adults over 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, though using the drug publicly would still be banned. The amendment would also allow people to grow up to six marijuana plants in a private, secure area.

Washington’s measure establishes a system of state- licensed marijuana growers, processors and retail stores, where adults can buy up to an ounce. It also establishes a standard blood test limit for driving under the influence.

Inanother notable ballot measure, Maryland voters approved allowing illegal immigrants to pay in- state college tuition, provided they attended a state high school for three years and can show they fi led state income tax returns during that time. About a dozen other states have similar laws, but Maryland’s is the first approved by voters.

In Oklahoma, voters wiped out all affirmative action programs in state government hiring, education and contracting practices.