Women, Cannabis Ride the Blue/Green Tsunami

The Blue Tsunami that was the November 3 election carried many women to victory.  

Democrats are putting out these stats: 

• For the first time in history, over 100 Democratic women will serve in the US House.  

• At least 16 Democratic women will serve in the Senate

• A record of 2,600 Democratic women running for seats in state legislatures helped flip 12 majorities and break 11 supermajorities. 

• At least 14 Democratic women will serve as governors, a record high. 

• Four states elected their first woman governor: Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, and Tennessee. (I'm particularly glad that Dr. Amy Acton beat out Rama-swarmy, following his horrible campaign featuring her mother who condoned Acton's sexual abuse by her husband.)

• Gina Hinojosa (pictured here as a child with former Texas Governor Ann Richards) will be the first Latina to serve as governor of Texas. 

• Keisha Lance Bottoms will be the first Black woman to serve as governor. (As mayor of Atlanta, Lance Bottoms removed drug-testing requirements for city employees, citing equity concerns. )

• Deb Haaland will be the first Native American woman to serve as a governor, and Peggy Flanagan will be the first Native American woman to serve in the senate. 

The day after the election the Golden State Valkyries WNBA team celebrated their first championship win with a parade in San Francisco (at which the sign at right was seen). The Valkyries/Atlanta Dream's unprecedented Game 7 in the championship series drew an estimated 3.3 million viewers, a record number. At Game 2 of the series at "Balhalla in SF, Tokin' Woman Alanis Morissette belted out the National Anthem, wearing a shirt that said, "Tout le monde regarde le sport feminine,"  which translates to "All the world (everyone) watches women's sports." 

Meanwhile, the post-election news today is that Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles, the first woman to hold that position, will be replaced by the hideous Stephen Miller. 

Other former Trump staffers Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem, Tulsi Gabbard, Lori Chazez-DeRemer, and Kimberly Guilfoyle have all been replaced by men, at least for interim positions. 

The Green Wave

Cannabis was high on the wave, too. 

Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly rejected ballot Question 8, which sought to repeal key elements of the state’s voter-approved adult-use marijuana legalization law, including home cultivation. With over 80 percent of the vote counted, the measure trails by an estimated 3 to 1 margin. The Massachusetts Senate followed up by passing a measure to let military veterans get medical marijuana without a doctor's prescription. 

By a nearly 2 to 1 margin, Idaho voters rejected ballot proposal HJR 4, which sought to amend the state constitution so that the public would no longer have any say in determining Idaho’s marijuana policies. This is a Republican state that saw no campaign against the measure. 

A measure in Houston to make marijuana-related misdemeanors among the police department’s lowest enforcement priorities had received the approval of more than 70% of voters as of Tuesday evening, according to a report from Houston Public Media. In addition to Republican Governor Gregg Abbott, Texans also voted out Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick who said, "I am not going to legalize marijuana in Texas. And if people want to vote me out of office, so be it." Voters chose Democrat Vicki Goodwin instead, ending a 27-year Republican hold on the office. Newly elected Texas Senator James Talarico, who defeated Trump-backed Ken Paxton, has already announced he plans to work with the Trump administration on federal legalization. 

New Democratic legislative majorities in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could make the two states the next to legalize recreational weed, Marijuana Moment reported. The battle in PA will be not to have it regulated at state-run stores, like liquor.