US: Supreme Court To Hear Referendum 71 Signature Case, Likely in April

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the names of Washington voters who sign a petition to put a law on the ballot can be made public. The high court could hear the case of Doe v. Reed as early as April, taking up the fight over the names and addresses of people who signed petitions to put Referendum 71 on last year’s November ballot. That referendum sought to overturn expanded rights for same-sex and elderly heterosexual couples. Supporters of gay rights filed a public records request for the names of everyone who signed the petitions; referendum sponsors objected, saying they feared the signers would be harassed. A few hours after the nation’s high court announced it was adding the case to its schedule, a state legislative committee considered dueling bills spawned by the dispute. One would provide an exemption to the state’s Public Records Act for the names and addresses on initiative or referendum petitions; the other would state categorically that they are public records. Full Story from the Spokesman-Review

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AP Calls Referendum 71 in Washington for Domestic Partnership Supporters

Washington voters have approved the state's new "everything but marriage" law, expanding rights for domestic partners and marking the first time any state's voters have approved a gay equality measure at the ballot box. With about 72 percent of the expected vote counted Thursday in unofficial returns, Referendum 71 was leading 52 percent to 48 percent, with a margin of about 60,000 votes. Sen. Ed Murray, a Seattle Democrat who spearheaded the law, called it "a great step forward for equality in Washington state." Full Story from AP: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hlGpneLaOG2koLv6cpbAJoCwS6jQD9BPNSL00

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Referendum 71 in Washington Continues Slim Lead

When Referendum 71 qualified for the ballot a few months ago, it made gay and lesbian couples uneasy. The ballot measure was going to allow voters to decide whether same-sex partners would get many of the same rights as married couples. Post-election ballot tallies were putting their fears to rest, with their cause holding a slim but steady statewide edge on Wednesday. “This is a historic vote,” said Joshua Friedes, campaign manager for Approve 71. “It is the first time that any state has affirmatively voted to protect gay and lesbian families with a system of comprehensive legal protections.” Full Story from HeraldNet: http://heraldnet.com/article/20091105/NEWS01/711059859

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Washington State May Have Approved Domestic Partnership Bill by Narrow Margin

Early figures from Washington state suggest that voters have opted to approve a new 'everything but marriage' measure for gay couples. As yet, fewer than half of the votes have been counted and current support levels are at 52 per cent. All but one of Washington's counties vote by post, meaning that a final result may not be available until the end of the week. Full Story from Pink News: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/04/early-numbers-suggest-washington-voters-approve-expanded-gay-rights/

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Nate Silver on What Happened Last Night on Gay Marriage, Gay Rights

Maine -- Question 1. Maine votes Yes on Question 1 -- which means no on gay marriage -- by a margin of about 52-48. Turnout was extremely high and should eventually surpass 500,000 voters, about where it was during the 2006 midterms. This fact was initially thought to favor the pro-gay marriage side -- but, obviously, it didn't. The results showed a very strong urban-rural divide, with the initiative being rejected by a margin of about 2:1 in Portland but racking up big margins in smaller towns and rural areas, especially in the north of the state. We had given Question 1 about a 70 percent chance of being defeated based on a combination of an analysis of the polling and a statistical model. I don't know how much time I'm supposed to spend defending being on the wrong side of a 70:30 bet -- we build in a hedge for a reason -- but here comes a little self-reflection. As for the polling, I think we have to seriously consider whether there is some sort of a Bradley Effect in the polling on gay rights issues, although one of the pollsters (PPP, which had a very bad night in NY-23) got it exactly right. As for the model, I think I'll need to look whether the urban-rural divide is a significant factor in a state in addition to its religiosity: Maine is secular, but rural. At the end of the day, it may have been too much to ask of a state to vote to approve gay marriage in an election where gay marriage itself was the headline issue on the ballot. Although the enthusiasm gap is very probably narrowing, feelings about gay marriage have traditionally been much stronger on the right than the left, and that's what gets people up off the couch in off-year elections. Full Story from Five Thirty Eight: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/11/what-happened-and-why.html

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Tacoma Endorses R71, Domestic Partnerships

Tacoma City Council has weighed in on a hot-button measure on the state ballot this year, one putting rights for domestic partners up for a public vote. On Oct. 20 eight members voted for a resolution endorsing approval of Referendum 71, with Councilmember Mike Lonergan abstaining. During the 2009 session the legislature passed a bill giving domestic partners many of the rights enjoyed by married couples. It applies to same-sex and senior citizen heterosexual couples. Opponents of the legislation gathered enough signatures to put the matter before voters for the final decision. A vote to approve Referendum 71 keeps the state law; a vote to reject will overturn it. Full Story from Tacoma Weekly: http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/3690

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Referendum 71 Ahead 57% to 38% Among Washington's Likely Voters

The yearly Washington Poll shows the statewide Referendum 71 for gay couples’ rights passing one week before the Nov. 3 election, while Tim Eyman's tax-limiting Initiative 1033 is trailing. The poll was conducted by a social research school at the University of Washington that has a track record of correctly forecasting election results. Its poll shows: R-71 is winning by a 56 percent to 39 percent margin among registered voters. The edge was 57-38 among likely voters; likely voters were those who have sent in ballots already or said they voted in November 2007. Full Story from the Olympian: http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1016921.html

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Judge Refuses to Allow Referendum 71 Foes to Ignore Contribution Caps, Flood the Race With Money Last-Minute

R-71 is the ballot measure that asks Washington voters to approve or reject the state's everything but marriage law. Washington Family PAC opposes the gay rights measure and last week sued in federal court to challenge two key Washington campaign finance laws. One requires campaigns to report the names, addresses and employers of donors. The other restricts contributions to 5-thousand dollars in the 21-days preceding the election. Washington Family argues those rules discourage participation in the political process. But that ship has sailed says Nancy Krier, attorney for Washington's Public Disclosure Commission. Nancy Krier: "To attempt to change all the rules of the game while these campaigns are ongoing and this close to the election is inappropriate." The judge agreed with the PDC and refused to issue a temporary restraining order. A trial on the merits of the case could still go forward after the election. Full Story from KPLU: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1571215/KPLU.Local.News/Federal.Judge.Keeps.WA.Contribution.Caps

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Starbucks Endorses R71, Domestic Partnerships in Washington State

Starbucks added its name to the list of major Northwest employers who support referendum 71, which would uphold Washington law that extends marriage-like benefits to gay, lesbian and some senior couples. Last month, Boeing, Nike, Microsoft, Puget Sound Energy, RealNetworks and Vulcan issued a joint statement in favor of the measure. Last Tuesday, Starbucks said it endorses and supports the approval of Referendum 71 because "it is aligned with our business practices, providing domestic partner benefits, and one of our core values of treating people with respect and dignity." Full Story from the Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/coffeecity/2010140831_starbucks_endorses_referendum.html

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Colbert Takes Gay Marriage Foes in Washington State to Task

Stephen Colbert returned to air last night after a week off with a particularly funny and diverse episode, tackling everything from George Will's sartorial hypocrisy to gay rights. The latter segment focused on recent legislation passed in the state of Washington called "Everything But Marriage" which expanded the state's domestic partnership law to offer same-sex couples the same rights as straight married people. This legislation was met with deep dismay by Protect Marriage Washington, an anti-gay marriage group which collected signatures to get a referendum on the ballot to overturn the law, but refuses to produce the list of those who signed the petition to prove its validity to detractors. Enter Stephen Colbert. The host used rhetoric usually reserved to discuss the rights of homosexuals to turn the whole debate on its head and expose the inherent hilarity: "I don't believe it is a choice, I believe you're born thinking gays don't have the right to get married or even be joined in union. And folks, the gays have no right to out those people." Full Story from the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/colbert-eviscerates-gay-m_n_335076.html

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Update on the Referendum 71 Fight in Washington State

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Washington state are facing a crucial vote. Voters are choosing whether to approve or reject SB 5688--a domestic partnership expansion bill passed earlier this year by the state legislature and signed into law by the governor in May. The law would grant the rights of civil marriage in Washington state--like sharing health benefits and death benefits, and hospital visitation rights--to same-sex couples and heterosexual partners where at least one of the two people is over the age of 62, without calling it "marriage." Everyone registered to vote in Washington state should vote to approve Referendum 71 and protect the rights of LGBT couples and seniors. This "Everything but Marriage" law--as it is referred to by its supporters--is the culmination of a strategy of working toward marriage equality by first creating the domestic partnership category for same-sex couples, and then adding more and more rights until domestic partners have the same state-granted rights as married couples do, just without the name. Full Story from SocialistWorker.org: http://socialistworker.org/2009/10/26/fight-for-referendum-71

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Washington Referendum 71 Opponents Send Out Rabidly Homophobic Email Calling Gays Depraved and Perverted

I rarely use the word homophobic. I like to save it for those times when there is not a better adjective. In Protect Marriage Washington's case, homophobic is the best adjective to describe their latest e-mail to supporters urging them to reject referendum 71. The letter was written by Senator Val Stevens. She wrote: Could this be the final battle? Are the homosexuals finally going to take control of our culture and push their depraved lifestyle on our children and families? Senator Stevens clearly does not understand the bill. We are simply trying to protect our families and children in times of crisis, like having the ability to take unpaid leave from work to care for a loved one without being fired. I'm not quite sure how that affects her family. Full Story from Seattle PI: http://blog.seattlepi.com/stepforward/archives/182740.asp?source=mypi

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US Supreme Court Justice Puts Hold on Release of Referendum 71 Signatures

With voters beginning to decide the fate of Referendum 71, a member of the nation’s highest court on Monday entered the legal fight on whether those who helped put the controversial measure on the ballot will keep their identities secret. U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy reimposed a federal ban on releasing the names of petition signers lifted last week by a 9th Circuit Court federal appeals panel. Sponsors of Referendum 71, who want the names kept secret, asked Kennedy last week to intervene. State lawyers filed a 39-page response Monday arguing there was no basis to overturn the appeals court decision. Full Story from Herald.net: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091020/NEWS01/710209876&news01ad=1

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Washington Referendum Shows it's Not Really About the Word "Marriage"

With all the attention that Beyond Chron has given to Maine’s Question 1, we would be remiss not to mention that Washington State has a similar ballot fight November 3rd. The difference is that in Washington the battle is over domestic partnerships (not gay marriage), which makes a victory there less historically significant. I also felt from the start that Referendum 71 was a more winnable cause, because a number of swing voters who are uncomfortable with granting marriage rights to gay couples strongly support civil unions. But you wouldn’t know this based on how the right in Washington has waged their campaign. Opponents of Referendum 71 say their fight is about “protecting marriage” – and view Washington’s domestic partner law as an assault on their theocratic agenda. Meanwhile, their allies in Maine claim to have nothing against gay couples having all of the same rights and benefits – but their problem is with re-defining the term “marriage.” How they’re waging the campaign in Washington exposes this as a bald faced lie. In Maine, the state legislature and Governor passed a marriage equality law – and the right has used the “People’s Veto” process to collect signatures and put it on the ballot. In Washington, the legislature and Governor passed Senate Bill 5688 to create a domestic partnership law similar to what we currently have in California – and the right has used the “referendum” process to collect signatures and put it on the ballot. Full Story from Beyond Chron: http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=7459#more

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Gay Rights Opponents Ask US Supreme Court to Block Referendum 71 Signature Release

That's the latest last evening from Gary Randall, leader of the Faith & Freedom Network who also is a leader in the Protect Marriage Washington campaign. The gay rights opponents want the U.S. Supreme Court to step in after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday ordered the Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed to release the signatures and names of Referendum 71 signers. A Seattle man who supports the domestic-partnership rights of R-71 wants to publish the names on a website, whosigned.com. The R-71 campaign says it does not condone that action, and Reed’s office has said the same; but state elections officials contend the signatures petitions are public records and have been treated as such for several years. Full Story from The Olympian: http://www.theolympian.com/politicsblog/story/1005609.html

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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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Federal Appeals Court Says Referendum 71 Signatures Must Be Released

Protect Marriage Washington, which collected the signatures to get Referendum 71 on the November ballot, said it will appeal Thursday's federal appeals-court ruling that cleared the way for public release of the names of those who signed petitions for the measure. "That particular group of judges saw the law one way; we'll take it to the next group of judges that may have the opportunity to see it the correct way," said Stephen Pidgeon, attorney for the conservative religious organization. Referendum 71 will ask voters to approve or reject the Legislature's latest expansion of the state's domestic-partnership law, which grants marriage-like benefits to gay and some senior couples. Full Story from the Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010072420_webref7115m.html

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

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"Christians" Behind Referendum 71 in Washington Have Checkered Marriage, Tax Pasts

With no real plan, a scattered base and well-heeled opponents, two political activists many people have never heard of are scoring unexpected victories in a campaign to roll back domestic-partnership benefits for gay couples in Washington state. Facing resistance even from within their own ranks, they've landed wins in state and federal courts, and were triumphant where it mattered most: a contentious signature count in the Secretary of State's Office that ultimately credited them with enough valid signatures to get Referendum 71 onto the Nov. 3 ballot. Larry Stickney, campaign manager for Protect Marriage Washington, and Gary Randall, his philosophical soul mate, see the tightly contested battle as one not about pension rights and sick leave but as their last chance to protect traditional marriage in Washington. Full Story from TDN.com: http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/10/14/breaking_news/doc4ad64297bb3c0812231942.txt

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

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Panel May Rule on Release of Referendum 71 Petition Signers' Names in Next Few Days

The dicey question over whether the Secretary of State can release the names and addresses of those who signed petitions to get Referendum 71 on the November ballot is now in the hands of the three-member panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ref 71 will ask voters on Nov. 3 to either approve or reject the state's latest expansion of the domestic partnership law, which grants marriage-like benefits to registered gay and some senior couples. Attorneys for protect Marriage Washington, which gathered enough signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot, told the three-judge panel that petition signatures are protected free speech under the First Amendment and as such should be shielded from public release. Full Story from the Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2010065743_the_dicey_question_over_whethe.html

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

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Bellingham, WA City Council Endorses R71, Domestic Partnerships

In a fairly unsurprising session, City Council members passed resolutions opposing a government revenue-restricting initiative from Tim Eyman and backing a domestic partnership law. The council unanimously, with Councilman Gene Knutson absent, approved a resolution opposing Eyman's Initiative 1033, which limits the growth of certain city, county and state revenue to the rate of inflation and population growth. Members also, in a 5-0 vote with Councilman Stan Snapp abstaining, passed a resolution urging voters to approve Referendum 71, which would enact a domestic partnership law that has been dubbed the "everything but marriage" law. Full Story from the Bellingham Herald: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/localnews/story/1111499.html

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