Court to Expedite Referendum 71 Signature Privacy Case

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals agreed today to expedite a case about releasing the names and addresses of everyone who signed Referendum 71. A three-judge panel will hear oral arguments on October 14 in Pasadena, California. Each side will have 15 minutes to present their case. By signing R-71 petitions, voters indicated that a law to extend the state-granted rights of marriage to same-sex partners should be put on the ballot, ultimately in an attempt to repeal them. But in a bizarre twist of hypocrisy, anti-gay Protect Marriage Washington now claims that the signers are a minority—because they were trying to limit rights of a minority, you see—at risk of harm if their identities are released. Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna doesn't buy the claim—arguing the state's open-government laws trump fears of people who put their name on a public document—and attorneys from his office will argue before the federal court. The Washington Coalition for Open Government, a nonprofit run by former state representative Toby Nixon, is also arguing to release the names of R-71 signers. Full Story from The Stranger: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/09/22/court-fast-tacks-r-71-case

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in Washington.

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