Judge Blocks Release of Referendum 71 signatures

9/10/09-by Paula Brooks
A federal judge in Tacoma, Washington has issued a preliminary injunction Thursday, blocking the state from releasing the petitions to the public, effectively shielding the identities of people who signed petitions supporting Referendum 71, an initiative that would force a vote on expanded benefits for gay couples in the state of Washington.
Referendum 71, sponsored by a conservative political group called Protect Marriage Washington, is asking voters in Washington to approve or reject the “everything but marriage” domestic partnership law that state lawmakers passed earlier this year.

The Washington State domestic partnership bill was supposed to take effect July 26, but the referendum campaign put it on hold. Now, the law will take effect only if approved by voters Nov. 3.

The petitions are considered public records under state law, but R-71’s sponsors say the petition-signers could be harassed, amounting to an infringement on their free speech rights; U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle apparently agreed.

In his ruling, Settle said he agreed that there must be measures in place to prevent referendum fraud. But because of the secretary of state’s process of verifying signatures, “at this time the court is not persuaded that full public disclosure of referendum petitions is necessary.”