Federal judges OK release of R-71 petitions
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has just lifted the ban on Washington releasing Referendum 71 petitions. A three-judge panel handed a clear victory to the Secretary of State Sam Reed and Attorney General Rob McKenna, who had vigorously argued that the state’s voter-approved Public Records Act requires the state to treat initiative and referendum petition sheets as a releasable public record. The court, in a brief three-page order released from Pasadena, Calif., said it is reversing Tacoma-based U.S. District…