Washington State Update: Over 90% Counted and New Process Questions
August 28, 2009
I'm tired of setting the scene so read our previous Washington posts if you want the background. First the numbers... 91.2 percent of the signatures are checked, up from 85 percent the day before. The rejection rate is at 11.81 percent which is down from 11.85 percent the day before (if the rejection rate reaches above 12.4 percent, the measure would not qualify). But the big news of the day is that the campaign to support domestic partnerships in Washington State has filed suit saying that the "Secretary of State has accepted thousands of signatures that were not in compliance with State laws related to fraud in the signature-gathering process." They further explain why this issue is so important:
Because of the limited number of signatures turned in, failure to enforce these laws could well lead to a measure being qualified for the ballot that should not be, and that measure has the potential to strip away important protections from thousands of families all across the state. There are domestic partners in every county of the state. They are same sex couples and heterosexual couples where one or both partners is 62 years or older. These couples should not have to worry about whether a partner can take sick leave to care for a loved one who is ill. A firefighter should not have to worry about whether her children will be taken care of if something should happen to her while fighting a fire. These are basic rights and protections that all families should have. Those trying to qualify Referendum 71 for the ballot do not think that families different than theirs should have these protections, so they are trying to overturn the law.
Their motion will be heard on an expedited basis next week and we'll bring you news as it happens. But for now it looks like the signature checking will continue.
