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Tag: R-71

R-71: Down to the wire?

R-71: Down to the wire?

Fresh polling continues to show a tight finish in the ballot battle over whether to approve or reject Washington’s new expansion of domestic partner benefits and protections. SurveyUSA, polling 548 likely voters for KING 5, showed the battle to be within the margin of error, with little more than a week until voters can start marking mail-in ballots. As reported by Seattlepi.com, the survey showed 45 percent in favor, 42 percent opposed, and the rest undecided.  Women, Democrats, Seattle metro…

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Indie poll shows R-71 a close call …

Indie poll shows R-71 a close call …

In just three weeks, we’ll have our vote-by-mail ballots in hand. Biggest intrigue: How will we vote on Referendum 71, the so-called “everything but marriage” law? According to a fresh Elway Poll by independent pollster Stuart Elway, the measure currently has a slim lead statewide — 46 percent to approve the law and 41 percent to reject it. Elway, who has been tracking public opinion on gay-rights issues for years, reports considerable confusion about what an affirmative or negative vote…

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How R-71 does on the field

How R-71 does on the field

Our Elections Division this week put the final touches on this fall’s statewide Voters’ Pamphlet and sent it to the printer. (More than 3 million copies will be printed and mailed throughout Washington in October.) Of the 56 pages that make up this year’s edition, 37 are devoted to Referendum 71. The photo below shows how the pages look when you stretch them out on a football field. (No, Olympia and Capital high schools aren’t going to use this to replace their yard…

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Oral ruling on R-71 lawsuit now available

Oral ruling on R-71 lawsuit now available

Last week, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee issued an oral ruling on the Referendum 71 lawsuit filed by Washington Families Standing Together. WFST sought an injunction against the Secretary of State that would have prevented R-71 from being placed on the statewide General Election ballot.  The lawsuit addressed 1) whether a person who signs a referendum or initiative petition must be registered to vote before signing the petition, and 2) whether a signature gatherer must sign a declaration…

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State to appeal Judge Settle’s R-71 ruling

State to appeal Judge Settle’s R-71 ruling

As many already know, U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle yesterday issued a preliminary injunction   prohibiting release of the names and addresses of those who signed Referendum 71 petitions, despite public records requests for them. The Attorney General’s Office announced today that the State will appeal Judge Settle’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. We do not yet know the timeline for the appeal. We support the decision to appeal this case (Doe v. Reed). Our…

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R-71 coming up: Understand your choices

R-71 coming up: Understand your choices

Washington Families Standing Together announced Wednesday night that the group won’t appeal Tuesday’s ruling on Referendum 71 by Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee. (See The AP’s story.) That clears the way for a statewide vote on R-71 this November. Now that R-71 is going on the General Election ballot after a close and lengthy signature check and three lawsuits, it’s important that you understand the choices that will appear on the ballot. (There has been some confusion out there…

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R-71: Thurston jurist green-lights Nov. 3 vote

R-71: Thurston jurist green-lights Nov. 3 vote

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee has given a go-ahead for a statewide vote Nov. 3 on Washington’s new “everything but marriage” law expanding benefits for state-registered domestic partners. McPhee dismissed a challenge brought by supporters of the law, Washington Families Standing Together.  In a lengthy  statement delivered from the bench following wide-ranging oral arguments, the judge fully sided with the Secretary of State’s handling of signature-checks for Referendum 71 and dismissed all of the points made by the…

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Thurston R-71 hearing set for Tuesday

Thurston R-71 hearing set for Tuesday

Challengers who hope to block a statewide vote on the state’s new “everything but marriage” law have been given a court date in Thurston County Superior Court for the day after Labor Day. The hearing of the lawsuit brought by Washington Families Standing Together will be before Judge Tom McPhee at 1:30 p.m. in the county courthouse in Olympia. A King County judge dismissed a challenge brought by Washington Families earlier this week, seeming to concur with their views but…

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Federal judge continues ban on public release of R-71 petitions

Federal judge continues ban on public release of R-71 petitions

U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle is continuing the ban on public release of Referendum 71 petitions at least temporarily, possibly until Sept. 11 or beyond. Settle says supporters of the state’s new “everything but marriage” law may see the names and addresses of people who signed the petitions, for possible use in a Thurston County Superior Court case that attempts to block the public vote via R-71.  The group may not make the information public, he said. The closely watched…

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R-71 legal update: Challengers file new lawsuit to block vote

R-71 legal update: Challengers file new lawsuit to block vote

Washington Families Standing Together, the coalition supporting a newly adopted “everything but marriage” expansion of rights for state-registered domestic partners, has filed a fresh lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court to try to block a public vote this fall on the new law. The organization and its chairwoman, Anne Levinson, challenged the validity of over 35,000 voter signatures accepted by the state Elections Division, and asked the court to direct the Secretary of State Sam Reed not to place Referendum…

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