Voters may face 2 ballot measures on gay marriage

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Voters may face 2 ballot measures on gay marriage

Thursday, February 9, 2012

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Voters may be presented with two ballot measures seeking to overturn a recently passed measure that would legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state.

On Wednesday, the Legislature approved a gay marriage bill with a 55-43 vote in the House. The Senate approved it last week on a 28-21 vote, and now the bill awaits a signature from Gov. Chris Gregoire. She is expected to sign the measure into law next week.

Opponents have already promised to challenge the measure at the ballot with a referendum, which would ask voters whether they want to uphold the law or overturn it. But another gay marriage opponent, Everett attorney Stephen Pidgeon, had already filed an initiative last month seeking to clarify state law to "between one man and one woman."

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Chuck 3 months, 1 week ago

A similar initiative was struck down in California very recently.

Which begs a question: why don't our legislators hold off on putting this to a vote until that case goes through the Supreme Court?

If we don't, we get stuck with a slew of legal bills getting any such voter initiative through the courts.

If we wait, we can essentially stick Sacremento with the check.

Annsboy 3 months ago

The 9th circut court is overturned about 60% of the time.

milo 3 months ago

The Supreme Court might not accept the California case. The California legislature approved gay marriage. The initiative to overturn that approval passed and was then challenged. The question the appeals court decided was narrow. Can a preexisting right be taken away by majority vote? At this time California is the only state that question would apply to. The Supreme Court usually only takes cases with broader application. If an initiative passes in Washington, then the 9th circuits decision would also apply here. That may mean that the Supreme Court will take the case. Regardless, the Appeals Courts decision means that any initiative in Washington would be declared unconstitutional at this time.