Washington Judge Blocks Release of All Petition Signatures, Including R71, Until Full 9th Circuit Ruling Released - Hearing Tuesday

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Richard Hicks has scheduled a hearing Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. to hear the state's request that the names of people who signed petitions seeking to have a new, expanded gay rights law overturned be made public. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday granted an immediate stay and reversed a lower court's preliminary injunction blocking the release of Referendum 71 petitions. Last month a federal judge blocked the release of names of people who signed R-71. U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle said releasing the names could violate the First Amendment rights of those who signed petitions to get R-71 on the ballot. The secretary of state's office criticized the ruling, saying it was "a step away from open government." Full Story from the Seattle PI: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/182328.asp?from=blog_last3

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