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U.S. Supreme Court seals names of R-71 petitioners
In a rare move, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an order preventing Washington State from releasing the names of more than 120,000 people who signed petitions seeking a voter referendum on whether to give same-sex couples most of the same rights as married couples. The cerendum 71 on the November ballot should continue to be […]
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Supreme Court justice blocks names in gay rights ballot measure
In a flurry of legal activity today, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy essentially reimposed a ban on release of the names of those who signed Washington state’s Referendum 71 petitions. Last week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered an injunction against release of the names be stayed thus allowing the state to distribute […]
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Microsoft donates 100K to uphold Washington’s domestic partner benefits
Microsoft has contributed $100,000 to the campaign to approve Referendum 71, which would uphold a state law to expand domestic-partnership benefits, the Seattle Times reports. The company made the donation on Friday to Washington Families Standing Together, a group supporting the law, which gives registered couples the same state-provided benefits as married couples. Here is […]
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Washington AG to appeal Judge’s ruling to hide R-71 petition signatures
The Washington state attorney general’s office announced Friday it will appeal a federal judge’s ruling to keep secret the names of people who signed petitions calling for a public vote on expanded domestic partnership benefits. Spokeswoman Janelle Guthrie says Attorney General Rob McKenna will ask the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the […]
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Judge refuses to block Washington’s R-71 ballot initiative
UPDATED 17:30 PT — A judge on Tuesday refused to block a proposed ballot initiative on expanded domestic partnership benefits for gay couples in Washington state. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee rejected arguments today in an Olympia courtroom in the lawsuit filed by Washington Families Standing Together. The group challenged the validity of […]
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Court battle continues to keep R-71 off Washington’s November ballot
Supporters of Washington’s “everything but marriage” gay partnerships are continuing their court battle over Referendum 71. R-71’s conservative sponsors have collected enough petitions to force a vote on the latest expansion of domestic partnership rights, but gay-rights activists say that state election officials accepted thousands of improper signatures, and filed a lawsuit in Thurston County […]
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R-71 has signatures to make the ballot, pending latest court challenge
Washington state’s Referendum 71, which will give voters a chance to overturn the new “everything but marriage” same-sex domestic partnership law, has moved a step closer to being on the November ballot. The secretary of state’s office ruled Monday that the referendum had 121,486 valid voter signatures, nearly a thousand more than needed to make […]
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PDC rules against R-71 donor secrecy; group files suit against ballot measure
The names and addresses of donors to Referendum 71 will not be exempt from public disclosure, the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission ruled Thursday, while another group moved to block the measure entirely. The request to remove the names was made earlier this month by Protect Marriage Washington, the group backing Referendum 71, which seeks […]
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WA Domestic Partner law in jeopardy as R-71 petition surpasses 100K
Elections officials say they’ve now verified more than 100,000 signatures for Referendum 71, an attempt to overturn Washington’s new “everything but marriage” same-sex domestic partner law. The totals as of Monday evening are: 103,898 checked, 91,716 accepted and 12,182 rejected. The overall error rate is 11.72 percent. In order to make the November statewide ballot, […]
