The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-11/05/2014 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- GOP gains Senate; Southern Baptists win by Tom Strode Date: November 05, 2014 - Wednesday WASHINGTON (BP) -- Voters gave the Republican Party a majority in the U.S. Senate in Tuesday's mid-term election, leaving President Obama without a Democratic-controlled chamber in Congress for the first time since he took residence in the White House nearly six years ago. Southern Baptist candidates, meanwhile, won first-time seats in Congress as part of the Republican blitz, but social conservatives did not fare well on some state initiatives. The GOP gained at least seven senatorial seats Nov. 4, with winners in at least two races yet to be determined. Republicans will have at least 52 seats in the 100-member Senate beginning in January. In the House of Representatives, Republicans expanded their majority. It appears the GOP will gain at least nine seats to push its total to 243 or more in the 435-member chamber. Social conservatives said the results showed that Democrats' "war-on-women" rhetoric against Republican pro-life candidates -- seemingly successful in the past -- had worn out its welcome with voters. Russell D. Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said the election illustrates that "the pro-life issue persists and can win," which he deemed the "most important aspect" of Election Day 2014. "Candidates who articulated explicitly their commitment to life won, and those who expected to use abortion as a 'wedge issue' to benefit the 'pro-choice' cause lost," Moore said in a written statement for Baptist Press. "We should pray now that the newly elected Congress and the president will be able to work together for just policies that protect and promote human dignity, family stability and religious liberty." Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, said the "overwhelming victory for pro-life candidates signals the fact that the bottom has fallen out of the abortion-centered 'war on women' strategy." What the party divide between the White House and Congress means legislatively for the next two years remains to be seen. It appears unlikely the GOP, which is the more conservative of the two major parties, will be able to push conservative measures -- especially on social issues -- past the president's veto pen. Republicans in the Senate, however, could present a significant hurdle for Obama nominations to the Supreme Court and other federal judgeships. Obama already has placed two liberal justices -- Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan -- on the high court with Senate confirmation during his presidency. Members of Southern Baptist churches won races in both houses. Rep. James Lankford, a Republican who has served four years in the House, easily gained the Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Coburn in Oklahoma. Lankford had 68 percent of the vote with final results still being tabulated. He was the director of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma's Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center for 13 years before his 2010 election to the House. BP has learned of the following Southern Baptists, all Republicans, who won first-time election to the House: -- Mark Walker won in North Carolina's 6th District with 59 percent of the vote. He served for about 15 years in a variety of pastoral roles. Most recently, he was associate pastor of music and worship at Lawndale Baptist Church in Greensboro. -- Jody Hice took Georgia's 10th District seat with 67 percent of the vote. He served churches in Georgia for nearly 25 years, most recently as pastor of The Summit Church in Loganville. -- Steve Russell replaced Lankford in Oklahoma's 5th District by winning 60 percent of the vote. Russell is a member of First Southern Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. Several states made decisions on two divisive social issues: abortion and marijuana. -- Pro-life advocates gained an important win in one state but lost in two others. Tennessee voters approved an amendment affirming that nothing in the state constitution can be construed to support an unfettered right to abortion, thereby giving legislators more authority to regulate abortion. Voters in Colorado and North Dakota, however, defeated pro-life amendments. -- Voters in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia approved pro-marijuana initiatives. Florida voters rejected an amendment to legalize medical marijuana, though 58 percent cast ballots for it. The measure required 60 percent for passage. The party division between the White House and Congress led Lankford to say Senate Republicans must block policies Obama is advancing while promoting their own proposals. The GOP should "lay out things that the Senate should move and the president will have a very difficult time vetoing because the American people quite frankly already wish they had it now," he said in a post-election webcast hosted by Family Research Council Wednesday (Nov. 5). Religious liberty -- which is increasingly being challenged in conjunction with same-sex marriage and mandatory abortion coverage with healthcare plans -- is a priority for him, Lankford said. "People that have faith should be free to be able to live their faith in the workplace, at home, wherever they are," Lankford said on the FRC webcast. "So whether you are a chaplain in the military, whether you are a small business or a large business and choose to live and practice your business by biblical practices or whether you are just an individual trying to make decisions ... and do it by biblical practices, that is your free choice as an American, and we've got to find ways to be able to protect that." When Obama won his first presidential election in 2008, he helped bring Democrats -- who already controlled the Senate -- into dominant majorities in both chambers. The GOP, however, regained control of the House in 2010, and the Democratic majority in the Senate shrunk. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mo. Baptists take stand on biblical marriage by Benjamin Hawkins/Missouri Pathway Date: November 05, 2014 - Wednesday OSAGE BEACH, Mo. (BP) -- Missouri Baptist Convention messengers stood together during their 180th annual meeting to defend the biblical view of marriage and oppose the modern-day slavery of sex-trafficking. OA total of 937 messengers and 269 guests from 390 churches gathered Oct. 27-29 at Osage Beach's lakeside Tan-Tar-A Resort, where MBC Executive Director John Yeats urged them to reject the "cultural religion of humanitarian goodness and political correctness." Rather, they must depend completely on the Spirit of God as they "stand up compassionately for our biblical convictions in the public square." MBC messengers did just that during the annual meeting by unanimously adopting two resolutions supporting their biblical convictions. In one resolution, they promoted the biblical view of marriage by challenging Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster to defend the state constitution's ban on same-sex marriage. In another resolution, messengers denounced sex trafficking, calling upon Missouri Baptists to "join in the active battle against the modern-day enslavement of humans for commercial sexual exploitation." Yeats also used his address to introduce one of two brand new resources to help pastors equip their churches. "Where the CP begins" is a video about a man who starts his day praying for his family, his local church and for state and national ministries. The other video, shown on Tuesday, depicted an artist using low-tech methods to emphasize the CP message. Both videos are available at http://mobaptist.org/cp/videos/. During the annual meeting, MBC president Wesley Hammond, pastor of First Baptist, Paris, emphasized the theme of this year's annual meeting, "Together," declaring that "the days of working alone as Missouri Baptists need to end." Convention preacher Richie Rhea, pastor of First Baptist Church, Troy, urged Missouri Baptist church leaders to follow the example of David in Psalm 103 by preaching God's Word to their own souls before preaching to others. Additionally, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary President Jeff Iorg challenged Missouri Baptists to stay true to the mission God has given them. Missouri Baptists decided to hold the convention's CP budget at $14.5 million for the second year in a row, although they also decided to move toward the "50-50" cooperative giving plan. This budget set aside five percent of the total CP giving for the "shared expenses" category, which will be allocated for annuity protections and The Pathway, Missouri Baptists' newsjournal. The remaining balance will then be split, with 59.5 percent of the CP budget going toward state ministries and 40.5 percent going toward SBC ministries. In contrast, messengers at the MBC's 2013 annual meeting allocated 60 percent for MBC causes and 40 percent for SBC causes. Missouri Baptists also approved the Executive Board's recommendation that the Rheubin L. South Mission Offering goal be set at $700,000 and that the MBC take a special offering on Oct. 28, 2014, to benefit both "scholarships for mb125 and Minister's Juggling Act and other pastor-assist initiatives" as well as a "Disaster Relief Endowment Fund." The total offering of $5,527.96 will be divided 60 percent/40 percent, respectively. Messengers also elected new MBC officers. These include: President Neil Franks, pastor of First Baptist Church, Branson, Mo.; First Vice President Ken Parker, pastor of First Baptist Church, Kearney, Mo.; Second Vice President Doug Richey, pastor of Pisgah Baptist Church, Excelsior Springs, Mo.; and Recording Secretary Jeremy Muñiz, pastor of First Baptist Church, Desoto, Mo. Jeff Purvis, a messenger from First Baptist Church, Herculaneum-Pevely, Mo., made a motion to amend Article VI of the MBC Constitution. Currently, this article reads, "The president of the Convention may be elected for only two consecutive terms of office and shall not be eligible for reelection until one year has elapsed from the time a successor assumes the office." If the proposed amendment is adopted, the article will read, "Each officer of the Convention may be elected for only two consecutive terms of office and shall not be eligible to serve as another officer until one year has elapsed from the time a successor assumes the office." Since it would require an amendment to the MBC Constitution, this motion has been referred to the Committee on Continuing Review. Missouri Baptists also approved a recommendation by the Committee on Convention Preacher that Robert Shelton, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Plattsburg, Mo., preach the convention sermon during the next annual meeting at the University Plaza Hotel and Expo Center in Springfield, Mo., Oct. 26-28, 2015. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mo. Baptists challenge attorney general by Staff/Missouri Pathway Date: November 05, 2014 - Wednesday OSAGE BEACH (BP) -- Messengers to the Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting, Oct. 27-29, defended the biblical view of marriage and challenged Attorney General Chris Koster to fulfill his oath of office by defending Missouri's constitution. This resolution comes on the heels of Jackson County Circuit Judge J. Dale Youngs' Oct. 3 ruling that opened the door for same-sex couples "married" in other states to collect a host of benefits previously afforded only to heterosexual married couples in Missouri. Although the ruling contradicted a state constitutional amendment passed in 2004, Koster announced Oct. 4 that he would not appeal Youngs' decision. Koster, a Democrat who supports same-sex marriage, is expected to run for governor in 2016. According to the MBC resolution, "Judge Youngs is attempting to accomplish by judicial fiat what the voters of Missouri have expressly said they do not support." Moreover, by his inaction, Koster is "abrogating his constitutional role as Attorney General to support and defend the Missouri Constitution." In their resolution, approved on Oct. 29, MBC messengers expressed their "disappointment" with Koster's refusal to defend the state constitution. They also called upon all Missouri Baptists to urge their state legislators to "exert all due influence on the office of the Missouri Attorney General, insisting that he defend our state constitution." "We sent a personal letter Oct. 10 to the attorney general expressing what Missouri Southern Baptists have so eloquently stated in this important resolution and have received no response," said Pathway Editor Don Hinkle, MBC director of public policy. "I maintain close contact with Southern Baptist leaders throughout our state and, if Mr. Koster continues to refuse to defend the Missouri Constitution, we would support a legislative decision to act upon articles of impeachment should the Missouri House of Representatives consider the attorney general's inaction a willful neglect of duty as stated in Section 1, Article VII of the Missouri Constitution." Missourians voted by a 71-29 percent margin on Aug. 3, 2004, to amend the state constitution, defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. According to the MBC resolution, this amendment specifically "included a ban on recognizing such (same-sex) 'marriages' performed in other states." The official tally for the ballot initiative called Amendment 2, which was strongly supported by the MBC, was 1,055,771 in support of the amendment, 439,529 opposing it. In their resolution, MBC messengers also encouraged "Christians to be informed concerning the political life of our nation, so as to protect religious freedoms guaranteed in our constitution." Moreover, the resolution stated that Missouri Baptists desire to speak the truth of God's Word in love: "RESOLVED, that despite our opposition to same-sex marriage on convictional grounds, Missouri Baptists express Christian love and concern for those who struggle with same-sex attraction, or any other sexual activity outside the bounds of God's creative design, acknowledging that every person is of eternal value to our Creator, and that all of us are sinful and fallen creatures who desperately need the redemption Jesus has provided through His death, burial and resurrection." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Pro-lifers win in Tenn., gain ground in Colo. by Diana Chandler Date: November 05, 2014 - Wednesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Tennesseans approved Nov. 4 a constitutional amendment to allow legislative regulations on abortions there, while measures in North Dakota and Colorado to affirm the beginning of life at conception failed at the polls. Still, Southern Baptists in Colorado view the election of pro-life U.S. Senate candidate Cory Gardner as a victory for unborn children, and North Dakotans will continue to proclaim the value of life from conception, leaders told Baptist Press. Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Director Randy Davis expressed gratefulness for voters' support of Amendment 1, which allows the legislature to regulate abortion in the state. The amendment won with 52.6 percent of the vote in a race that was considered a toss-up when the polls opened. "I think Tennessee has begun the process of no longer being the destination for abortions in the Southeast," Davis said. "I'm very thankful that Tennesseans stood up for life. They showed up to vote and I'm very proud of our laymen and pastors that became engaged in the political process over this issue." Davis encouraged the church to move forward protecting life, as the measure does not overturn abortion rights in the state, which are protected nationwide under the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling. "I think we've got to be vigilant to protect the sanctity of life," Davis told Baptist Press. "I also think we've got to be very compassionate to those that find themselves considering an abortion, and lovingly provide an alternative to that abortion. Our behavior has got to match our belief about life." Colorado Personhood While efforts in Colorado to establish the existence of life at conception failed, the election of Gardner to oust Democratic incumbent Mark Udall was a huge win for pro-life advocates, Colorado Baptist General Convention Executive Director Mark Edlund told Baptist Press. Udall's campaign focused heavily on a woman's right to choose, overshadowing Amendment 67 known as the Personhood amendment, but strengthening Gardner's campaign. "The amendment got married to the Senate race," Edlund said. "And we elected Cory Gardner which was a huge step forward. He's very pro-life, so although we didn't get the amendment, we got the pro-life senator. So it was really a win for us." The failure of Amendment 67 marked the third consecutive defeat of personhood efforts in Colorado. The amendment to define "person" and "child" in the Colorado criminal code as "unborn human beings" gained only 35.6 percent of the vote, according to results on the Colorado Secretary of State's website. "I don't think we had the momentum to actually pass the amendment," Edlund said. "I'm hoping they'll bring it back to us in 2016, and I think we'll have a good chance at that point actually. We're delighted that Cory Gardner got elected and he's going to carry our banner for us." Jennifer Mason, communications director of Personhood USA, told Baptist Press that the amendment has enjoyed some success, since it failed by a smaller margin this time than in 2012, when it gained less than 30 percent of the vote. "It's disappointing that children are not protected in Colorado today. It is very exciting that even being outspent 1300 to one, we still increased the vote by so many points," Mason said. Personhood USA will continue its fight in Colorado, she said. "Yes, we definitely feel that this is something God has called us to do and we will definitely try again, especially knowing that so many people had their hearts and minds changed about the unborn child in Colorado," Mason said. "I think it's definitely needed to try again and build on the successes that we had in this election." Mason encouraged the church to continue its efforts to protect life in Colorado and beyond. "I think that anyone who believes in Jesus can be praying for protection for the unborn and also to support local efforts, wherever they are, to protect unborn children," Mason said. "The most important thing we can do to save babies' lives is on a one-on-one basis, so talk to friends, talk to neighbors; if you're able to go to the abortion clinics and offer help and hope to a woman who's pregnant, do that." "Pray for us as we get ready to keep trying," she said. North Dakota Measure 1 North Dakotans rejected Measure 1 by a near two-to-one margin, with only 35.8 percent of voters affirming the amendment. Known as the Human Life Amendment, Measure 1 would have recognized and protected "the inalienable right to life of every human being at every stage of development." The measure's failure does not weaken Dakotans' support of the unborn, Dakota Baptist Convention Executive Director/Treasure Garvon Golden told Baptist Press. "North Dakota still remains a strong right-to-life state," Golden said. "The predominant view in North Dakota is that life is valuable. We've had a strong record in the past of not only adopting pro-life legislation, but also standing up for the rights of the unborn as well as throughout life. And this measure was just to affirm that." Abortion rights activists worked hard to defeat the measure, Golden said. "I think a lot of those who opposed the measure began to focus peoples' attentions on 'what-ifs' instead of the certainty of saying we are for life," Golden said. "I don't think the vote was a true measure of how we as North Dakotans feel about the right to life." Southern Baptists in the Dakotas will continue to proclaim the sanctity of life and work for its protection, Golden said. "We'll continue as a convention and as Southern Baptists in the Dakotas to stand on the truth that all life is valuable and we'll continue to advocate for that. We'll continue to preach that from our pulpits and lead our people to vote their values when they have the opportunity to, and we will put our trust in God and the democratic process." -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Church must respond to marijuana's destructive march by Barrett Duke Date: November 05, 2014 - Wednesday WASHINGTON (BP) -- Marijuana supporters continue to succeed with their plan to legalize this dangerous drug across the country. Their strategy is now quite obvious. They begin by playing on the public's compassion with medical marijuana, and then follow up with their true agenda: the widespread legalization of recreational marijuana. A quick look at the 2014 vote results reveals this strategy very clearly. Oregon and Alaska, which both legalized recreational marijuana on Tuesday, have had legal medical marijuana since 1998. The medical marijuana efforts passed in those states because voters were told it would help relieve people's suffering. Fast forward to 2014, and they now have legal recreational marijuana. Once a state legalizes medical marijuana, proponents know it's just a matter of time until they can advance their real agenda. Apparently, it takes about 10 to 15 years to desensitize the public enough to the dangers of marijuana to achieve the next step toward full legalization. The other two states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana followed the same trajectory as Oregon and Alaska. Colorado legalized medical marijuana in 1998 and Washington State did so in 2000. Then, in 2012, the two states legalized marijuana for recreational use. The town of South Portland in Maine followed this path on Tuesday as well, voting to legalize recreational use of the drug. Maine legalized the medical use of marijuana in 1999. The District of Columbia, which also legalized recreational marijuana on Tuesday, is the outlier. The District legalized medical marijuana in 2010, but given the extreme liberal disposition of the majority of the District's voters, the more rapid fall isn't really surprising. Tuesday's marijuana votes proved medical marijuana's status as the Trojan Horse of the marijuana legalization movement. No state has legalized recreational marijuana without first legalizing medical marijuana. The lesson for all the states is clear: once you legalize medical marijuana, it's just a short matter of time before you will be contending with the pressure to legalize recreational marijuana as well. Florida's voters saved themselves from this fate on Tuesday when they rejected an effort to legalize medical marijuana. Given the clear connection between legalization of medical and recreational marijuana, it's safe to say that Florida has bought itself more time before it must deal with the question of legalized recreational marijuana. With so much at stake, the church must respond. First, Christians must make sure they balance their compassion with discernment. While we want to do all we can to help people, we must see through what has become the obvious true goal of legalizers. Christians must not allow themselves to be used for an agenda that will result in thousands of destroyed lives. Marijuana is an addictive, mind-altering substance that is nearly impossible to use in moderate doses. It has been a gateway drug for millions of users. Making it more accessible will lead to more drug addiction and all the social costs associated with drug abuse. Second, Christians must not allow themselves to be persuaded that smoking marijuana is an acceptable medical remedy. Using marijuana exposes a person to multiple toxic compounds and serious personal negative repercussions. Marijuana puts the user at higher risk for cancer, psychosis, strokes, respiratory damage, and heart attacks. It interferes with work and relationships. Third, Christians must stay engaged in local debates and politics to help keep their communities as drug-free as possible. The path from medical marijuana to recreational marijuana does not have to be inevitable. California, which was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, rejected the effort to legalize its recreational use in 2010. The Maine town of Lewiston also rejected an effort to legalize the recreational use of marijuana on Tuesday. Neighbor love requires that we look out for our fellow citizens. We can help by resisting the deceptive messages of the marijuana purveyors and show up at the polls every time our state is asked to take the next step toward marijuana's legalization. Finally, churches must engage their communities. Churches must continue to promote healthy lifestyles as a key to human flourishing for their own members as well as for the public in general. Drug abuse is not compatible with human flourishing. Christians can emphasize this by maintaining drug-free lifestyles themselves and helping their communities understand the connection between drug-free lifestyles and personal potential. In addition, churches should provide services that can help people in their communities overcome drug addiction and reclaim their lives. Jesus not only saves the soul; He also restores broken lives. Churches must offer this message of hope and opportunity to their communities. While many states are falling for the lie of marijuana's harmlessness, the church does not have to be taken in. The Bible's call to personal purity and sobriety has not changed. We must remain faithful to its call and not be deceived by the culture's call to personal indulgence. As a world steeped in confusion follows a path to destruction, God's people should be like Daniel and his friends who chose a healthy lifestyle over the excesses of the king's table. A watching world will take notice that our lives are healthier and more fulfilling lived in obedience to the Lord. We can make a difference. For the sake of millions of people around us and the glory of God we must. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Marijuana legalized in Alaska, Ore. & D.C. by David Roach Date: November 05, 2014 - Wednesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Results of marijuana votes Tuesday (Nov. 4) were mixed, with Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia approving recreational pot use but Florida rejecting a state constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana. Two Maine cities made opposite decisions in their votes on recreational marijuana. South Portland approved recreational use by a 52-48 margin while Lewiston rejected it 55-45. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law and is classified by the government as a schedule 1 substance, which denotes "drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration website. Barrett Duke, vice president for public policy and research at Southern Baptists' Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said in written commentary provided to Baptist Press that the various marijuana votes illustrate advocates' game plan for making recreational pot legal on a "widespread" basis. "Marijuana supporters continue to succeed with their plan to legalize this dangerous drug across the country. Their strategy is now quite obvious. They begin by playing on the public's compassion with medical marijuana, and then follow up with their true agenda: the widespread legalization of recreational marijuana," Duke said. "A quick look at the 2014 vote results reveals this strategy very clearly. Oregon and Alaska, which both legalized recreational marijuana on Tuesday, have had legal medical marijuana since 1998. The medical marijuana efforts passed in those states because voters were told it would help relieve peoples' suffering. Fast forward to 2014, and they now have legal recreational marijuana," he said. Duke added, "While many states are falling for the lie of marijuana's harmlessness, the church does not have to be taken in." Oregon and Alaska join Washington and Colorado as the four U.S. states to legalize recreational marijuana. Twenty-three states have legalized medical marijuana. Oregon By a 54-46 majority Oregon voters approved Measure 91, which allows adults 21 and over to possess up to eight ounces of dried marijuana and four plants. Oregon's marijuana policy will establish a commercial regulatory system for production, distribution and sale of pot, CNN reported. Mandy Puckett, director of the No on 91 campaign, told BP that the close margin in Oregon's election was an "amazing accomplishment" since marijuana opponents "were outspent by millions from out of state billionaires who had an interest in marijuana legalization and drug legalization." Oregonians "are really torn on this issue and ... education about marijuana is significantly lacking," Puckett said. Alaska Alaska voters approved by a 52-48 margin Ballot Measure 2, allowing people 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and six plants. The measure also legalizes the manufacture, sale and possession of marijuana paraphernalia. Measure 2 will become law 90 days after the election is certified, which is expected to occur in late November. The state can then create a marijuana control board, which will have nine months to draft regulations for marijuana businesses, the Alaska Dispatch News reported. Erick Cordero, campaign manager of the group "Big Marijuana. Big Mistake. Vote No on 2," told BP his organization will keep a "close watch" on the regulation process to "make sure that our concerns are addressed, especially when it comes to youth getting access to marijuana." He wants to prevent cookies, brownies and other edibles laced with marijuana from being presented in a way that is "appealing to children." Marijuana opponents were outspent 6 to 1 in Alaska, Cordero said, noting that Vote No on 2 was 100 percent funded by Alaskans while the pro-marijuana campaign was 98 percent funded by out-of-state money. "I'm very proud of our volunteers," Cordero said. "We were only two staff members and hundreds of volunteers throughout the state. They worked very, very hard." Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C.'s Initiative 71 -- which passed by a 65-28 margin -- allows residents and visitors 21 and older to possess up to two ounces of marijuana and grow up to three marijuana plants at home, the Washington Post reported. Because the District of Columbia is controlled by the federal government, the measure will become law unless Congress vetoes it and President Obama agrees, the Post reported. At least one member of Congress has said he will work to block marijuana legalization in D.C. Washington's marijuana vote "will result in higher drug use among teens," Andy Harris, R-Md., said in a written statement to the Post. "I will consider using all resources available to a member of Congress to stop this action, so that drug use among teens does not increase." Florida Florida's Amendment 2, which would have legalized medical marijuana, received 58 percent support but fell short of the 60 percent threshold needed to approve a state constitutional amendment. "We are very happy that our quality of life here in Florida is going to be preserved," Calvina Fay, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation in St. Petersburg told the Tampa Bay Times. "We are not going to be seeing pot shops everywhere. We are not going to see opportunities for marijuana to be promoted for our children. We are happy the voters in our state took time to actually read the amendment and vote smart." Duke congratulated Florida on rejecting medical marijuana, which he dubbed "the Trojan Horse of the marijuana legalization movement." "No state has legalized recreational marijuana without first legalizing medical marijuana," Duke said. "The lesson for all the states is clear: if you legalize medical marijuana, it's just a short matter of time before you will be contending with the likelihood of legal recreational marijuana. Florida's voters saved themselves from this fate on Tuesday when they rejected an effort to legalize medical marijuana. Given the clear connection between legalization of medical and recreational marijuana, it's safe to say that Florida has bought itself more time before it must deal with the question of legalized recreational marijuana." Maine South Portland became the second Maine city to legalize recreational marijuana, following Portland's vote last year. In addition to being illegal under federal law, recreational marijuana remains illegal under Maine state law. South Portland police chief Edward Googins told the Portland Press Herald that his officers will continue to enforce state law. "Obviously, I am disappointed," Googins said of the vote, "but I understand there has been over the past decade or two some very different beliefs in the use of marijuana. We'll see how this plays out." The York, Maine, Board of Selectmen opted to keep marijuana off Tuesday's ballot, and a judge backed that decision.