Did Washington marriage petition meet state mark?

At press time in late July, uncertainty reigns on

whether Referendum 71 faces voters

By JOHN FORTMEYER
CNNW publisher
     OLYMPIA, Wash. — As this newspaper went to press in late July, it was too close to call whether a controversial measure supporters say pertains to marriage received enough valid voter signatures to make Washington’s November ballot.
     While it appeared the minimum 120,577 signatures was exceeded by about 18,000— thanks largely to the efforts of concerned churches and evangelical Christian groups statewide — the big question was whether Referendum 71 had drawn enough extra signatures to act as a cushion for erroneous or duplicate petition signatures.
    Answering that question could take until the end of this month — the amount of time the secretary of state’s office estimates will be needed to verify the signatures.

     But referendum sponsors expressed hope on July 25, the deadline for turning petitions in to the state, that their efforts paid off. Gary Randall of Faith and Freedom Network told the Associated Press they felt there was a “good chance” the measure would qualify for a fall vote.
Referendum 71 is a citizen initiative that would allow voters to decide on state Senate Bill 5688, which, according to Christian legal rights agency Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), makes marriages and same-sex “registered domestic partnerships” effectively the same except in name.
    Opponents of Referendum 71 say domestic partnerships are not equal to marriage. Some of the opponents had promised to post on the Internet personal information about referendum supporters, which prompted ADF to set up a hotline and web site for reporting any potential retaliation by opponents.
    Christian groups such as Protect Marriage Washington (www.protectmarriagewa.com) and Faith and Freedom Network (faith and freedom.us) contend that while SB 5688 was presented to the Legislature as an expansion of benefits for married partners, that it actually will erode the state’s historical understanding and definition of marriage as that of uniting a man and a woman for life.
    The new expanded domestic partnership law was to have taken effect July 26, but is now delayed until the signatures are tallied. If Referendum 71 makes the ballot, the law will be delayed until the outcome of the election.