Poll Shows Opposition Easing Toward Gay Marriage, Abortion, Legal Pot

AP

As the abortion and gay marriage debates simmer beneath the national brawl over spending, a new poll shows Americans are becoming much less conservative when it comes to social issues.

A Pew Research Center poll released Thursday showed growing support for legal abortion, gay marriage and marijuana legalization. 

The shifting attitudes on the latter topic were particularly dramatic. Americans opposed legalizing marijuana by an 81-16 split two decades ago. The latest poll showed just 50 percent now oppose the change, while 45 percent support legalizing marijuana. 

On the abortion question, the survey showed Americans trending toward supporting abortion rights after a brief drift in the opposite direction. A 54 percent majority favored legal abortion, while 42 percent opposed it. 

The poll also showed more Americans coming around to the idea of same-sex marriage. Though Americans were opposed to gay marriage by nearly 2-1 a decade ago, the latest poll showed 45 percent in support of it, with 46 percent in opposition. 

The survey showed the public split just about even over the issue of gun control, with as many people supporting gun rights as gun regulation. 

The survey was conducted Feb. 22 through March 1 among 1,504 adults. It had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

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Latest Politics Videos March 04, 2011Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:06:14 GMT6:03 PM EST

Florida Justices Say Gov. Scott Can Refuse Rail Funds

"March 4: Obama is greeted by Florida Gov. Rick Scott and his wife Ann upon his arrival to Miami International Airport. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced March 4 that $2.4 billion in high-speed rail funding intended for Florida will be sent to other states after the state Supreme Court upheld Gov. Rick Scott's decision to reject the money." /

Phoenix Under Federal Scrutiny After Probe Finds Flaws With Kidnapping Stats

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Phoenix was once dubbed the kidnapping capital of the United States. Now it turns out that claim may have been based on faulty information.

An investigation into 2008 Phoenix Police crime statistics has found that reports of 358 kidnappings that year may have been inflated. The stats may have been padded in order to receive a $1.7 million federal grant, and it's caught the attention of the Department of Justice. 

According to an analysis of police reports:

-- Only 25 percent of the kidnappings were connected to border-related human or drug smuggling. 

-- 53 reports don't use the word "kidnapping" but were other crimes such as assault or robberies. 

-- 59 reports pertained to "information" only, not crimes. Some were just women who said men tried to pick them up off the street. 

-- Some reports were counted twice.

The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, the union representing the police officers, says there were not 300-plus kidnappings several years ago, but only about 75.

"Apparently there is a belief there was a mistake made," said Mark Spencer, president of P.L.E.A. "We do not think it was a mistake but a foul."

Spencer added, "Clearly they were warned the numbers were bad and they went ahead with them anyway."

Now there are both federal and local investigations underway. The Department of Justice and Inspector General are looking into the claims, and the city is launching its own investigation. On Thursday, the city announced that police chief Jack Harris will no longer oversee the day-to-day operations of the police department. A new acting chief has been named while a city panel completes a review of Harris' situation in 60 days.

Assistant City Manager Ed Zuercher said he believes the agency will be cleared.

"I am confident that it does not involve fraud, it may involve mistakes and sloppy record keeping, and that's what we need to get into and look at," said Zuercher.

Meanwhile, the former police chief is defending his department and his job.

"Anyone that wants these stars can come and get them but I got news for you, I'm not giving them to you, you're going to have to take them," Harris told the media on Thursday.

Texas Pol Wants to Make Pot Penalties Similar to a Speeding Ticket

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A Texas lawmaker is pushing a bill that would ensure most people caught with small amounts of marijuana do not face jail time. 

The proposal, which the Texas Democrat has introduced before, would make getting caught with an ounce or less of pot similar to getting pulled over for speeding. Instead of facing up to six months in jail, the culprit would face a maximum $500 fine. 

Though it may not pass, the proposal is coming out of a state that for years carried some of the nation's toughest marijuana penalties. 

Allen St. Pierre, director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said that marijuana possession, even a small amount, carried a felony penalty and automatic jail time throughout the 1970s in Texas. The Texas Legislature modified the law a few years ago so that local jurisdictions could choose to fine, not lock up, minor offenders. 

State Rep. Harold Dutton wants to make sure those offenders don't face any jail time. His proposal would automatically downgrade possession of one ounce or less from a "Class B" to a "Class C" misdemeanor. 

Legalization advocates are getting behind the bill. 

"From our point of view ... to have such a huge state like Texas that traditionally, historically has been so against these reforms, that would be one more indication of these reforms bubbling up from the states," St. Pierre said, adding that 13 states have taken jail time off the table for possessing small amounts of marijuana. 

But he said that even if it passed, Republican Gov. Rick Perry would likely veto. 

Possession of between one and two ounces would still be punishable by up to six months in jail and a $2,000 fine. Anyone caught with between two and four ounces would face up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. 

Click here to read more at MyFoxAustin.

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Latest Politics Videos March 04, 2011Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:06:14 GMT6:03 PM EST

Dem Proposes Letting People Opt Out of Health Insurance Mandate -- But There's a Catch

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Seattle attorney Marianne Meeker doesn't have health insurance and doesn't want the government ordering her to buy it. She pays her doctor with cash. And because Dr. Vern Cherewatenko only takes cash, he can charge a lot less than his peers who deal with Medicare and insurance companies. 

"I don't think you can force people to carry insurance," Meeker said. "I don't think that's part of our mindset." 

Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio says he has an answer to these concerns. The Democratic congressman has introduced legislation that would allow people to opt out of the so-called individual mandate -- but exercising that choice would come with some risk. 

Anybody who takes the opt-out option would automatically waive his or her right to any government-funded medical help for at least three years. 

"It's your choice," DeFazio said. "But remember, there's consequences, and you're not going to pass those costs on to your neighbors, and your community, and other taxpayers and others in the country who are insured." 

DeFazio is effectively offering individual mandate critics a strings-attached compromise, but it's unclear whether anybody would want to take it. 

H.R. 767 would create a set of consequences for those who want to stay uninsured. If they needed to buy private insurance later, they would not have the protections of the federal health care overhaul, including its ban on insurance companies denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. People who opt out would not be able to buy insurance through a state exchange. If they end up getting sick and racking up big medical bills, they would not be able to shed that debt through personal bankruptcy. The bills would follow them around just as student loan costs do. 

A Harris Interactive/Health Day poll released this week shows there is strong opposition to the individual mandate. According to the survey of 3,149 adults taken Feb.16-18, 50 percent of Americans oppose the individual mandate clause in the health care law and believe it to be unconstitutional. Only 22 percent support it while the rest are still unsure. 

The individual mandate is not only controversial among the public, its constitutionality is still being decided by the courts. Five federal judges have ruled on the matter. Three have maintained that under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution the federal government has the authority to require individuals to purchase health insurance, but two other judges ruled it did not. Judge Roger Vinson, in fact, ruled the whole law unconstitutional because the individual mandate provision is so central to the reform. 

A plaintiff in one of the lawsuits is the National Federation of Independent Business, and a spokesman in Washington State came out in opposition to the DeFazio bill. 

"Simply allowing some people to opt out of an unconstitutional mandate is not the preferred course," said Patrick Connor of the NFIB. 

Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute also opposes the original health care law and DeFazio's compromise. "This is really an effort to save Obamacare," Cannon said. "I don't think Republicans will go along with it."

Holocaust Survivors Win Support From Congress for Insurance Rights

"Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., talks on his cell phone at the Kennedy Space Center press building prior to the launch of space shuttle Discovery in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011.(AP)" /

Maryland House Committee Passes Gay Marriage Bill

Associated Press

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A Maryland House committee has moved forward a bill to legalize gay marriage in the state.

The panel voted 12 to 10 to approve the bill Friday.

The bill, which already has been passed by the state Senate, now goes to the full House of Delegates.

Same-sex couples in Maryland would have the same full marriage rights as heterosexuals under the bill. It includes protections for religious groups and institutions to keep them from being forced to participate in gay weddings.

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Latest Politics Videos March 04, 2011Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:06:14 GMT6:03 PM EST