Arizona Voters OK King Holiday; Ban on Abortion Fails

Arizona voters rejected a tough anti-abortion initiative by more than a 2-to-1 margin, and approved a state holiday honoring the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

In Colorado, voters Tuesday rejected a school-reform measure that would have given parents tax dollars to send their children to private or parochial schools.

The school-vouchers initiative, similar to one that will appear on the June, 1994, California ballot, was rejected by a 2-to-1 margin. Had it passed, it would have made Colorado the first state in the nation to adopt a publicly financed school-choice system that included private institutions.

In Arizona, the anti-abortion measure would have amended the state constitution to ban abortions except to save the life of the mother. The Legislature could have made further exceptions in the case of rape or incest.

In approving a holiday honoring King, Arizona voters sought to end a national controversy. Two years ago, the defeat of King holiday proposals cost the state an estimated $300 million in tourism. This year’s proposal, which won 60% of the vote, creates a King holiday on the third Monday in January.