Gay-rights activists say they don’t expect to jump from their Referendum 71 victory to pursuing gay-marriage in the Legislature or in the courts right away.

Sen. Ed Murray, sponsor of the state’s newly ratified domestic partnership law, tells The Herald of Everett that he isn’t expecting even a hearing in Olympia on the perennial request for the right to marry.  The spokesman for the Approve R-71 says “I think 2010 is too soon,” and activists called it a conversation for the future.  Court action isn’t expected, either, they said.

Larry Stickney, organizer of Protect Marriage Washington, concurred that lawmakers aren’t likely to touch the issue in 2010, but said he has his eye on the courts, where judges could overturn the 1998 ban on same-sex marriage.

The Herald’s Jerry Cornfield also blogs on  dissension in the ranks of social conservatives, with a prominent pastor, Joe Fuiten complaining about the tactics and even the godliness of the effort.

As of Monday afternoon, R-71 (Senate Bill 5688)  was being approved by a 53-47 margin, or a margin of over 100,000 votes.  Ten counties were approving the new law, led by populous King, which was voting 68 percent for the measure. The law was being rejected by voters in 29 counties.