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Federal Appeals Court Says Referendum 71 Signatures Must Be Released

Friday, October 16th, 2009

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.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in federal appeals court, petitions, r71, referendum 71, release, signatures, washington | No Responses »

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

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

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.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in domestic partnerships, Gay Marriage, petitions, r71, referendum 71, release, ruling, signatures | No Responses »

Court to Expedite Referendum 71 Signature Privacy Case

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

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.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com with “subscribe blog” as the subject. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in domestic partnersh, Gay Marriage, petitions, r71, referendum 71, signatures, signers, wa, washington | No Responses »

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