Nation briefs

assistant-news@dailylobo.com
@ChloeHenson5

Colorado
A year after legalizing recreational marijuana, Colorado voters have approved an excise tax of 15 percent on the drug, with a 10 percent sales tax that will be imposed starting next year. It is projected the taxes will bring in about $70 million in revenue, which will go towards marijuana regulation and school construction. The measure was approved by about two-thirds of those who cast a vote in the election.

Sanford, Fla.
Police in the city where Andrew Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin have decided not to pursue a plan that would ban neighborhood watch people from carrying firearms. The new rules were originally intended to restore the city’s reputation, but were met with resistance from gun advocates. The police chief has refused to explain the reasoning behind the reversal.

Illinois
Illinois will likely become the 15th state to allow same-sex marriage. The House and Senate passed a measure legalizing same-sex marriage, and in a statement Tuesday, Gov. Pat Quinn said he would approve the bill. The House approved the bill by a vote of 61 to 54. An aide to the governor said Quinn will likely sign the bill by the end of this month, and the measure is scheduled to take effect in June.

Portland, Maine
Voters in Portland recently passed a referendum to legalize carrying up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana. The referendum, which was put on the general elections ballot, passed 67 percent to 33 percent on Tuesday. However, police will continue to enforce state law, which makes possession of up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana a civil offense. Some advocates for the legalization of marijuana hope Portland’s referendum will help push for a similar statewide law. Portland is the first location in the East to legalize marijuana.

New Jersey
Gov. Chris Christie was re-elected Tuesday after defeating challenger Barbara Buono. The Republican incumbent defeated his Democrat opponent after garnering 60 percent of the state’s votes, compared to Buono’s 38 percent. According to CNN, Christie nabbed about 57 percent of the female vote and won all age groups, except 18 to 29. The governor is considered a potential presidential candidate for the 2016 election, CNN reported.

New York City
Bill de Blasio was elected mayor of New York City after defeating Joe Lhota 73 percent to 24 percent of the total votes. Blasio is the first Democrat in two years to serve as mayor of the city. According to CBS, Blasio was able to defeat opponent Christine Quinn earlier in his campaign because of her ties to Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Democrat candidate Anthony Weiner led in polls until late July when it was reported that he had engaged in three online sexual relationships since leaving Congress, according to the article.

Virginia
Democrat Terry McAuliffe took the gubernatorial seat in Virginia on Tuesday after narrowly defeating Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli and Libertarian Robert Sarvis. McAuliffe won about 48 percent of the total votes, with Cuccinelli trailing at 45 percent and Sarvis at 7 percent. According to the New York Times, McAuliffe raised $34.4 million for his campaign, while Cuccinelli raised about $19.7 million.

Washington
The U.S. Supreme Court considered Wednesday whether the town of Greece, N.Y. violated the Constitution when it opened its Town Board meetings with mostly Christian prayers. The case arose from the Town Board’s practice of opening meetings with prayers from a “chaplain of the month,” which were almost always Christian. The plaintiffs in the case argue that the prayers violate the First Amendment’s ban on government establishing religion.