Gay marriage opponents file referendum challenge
Gregoire Signs Marriage Equality Bill
Challengers of Washington’s newly signed gay-marriage bill have filed a referendum challenge.
Less than four hours after Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law the bill authorizing civil marriage for same-sex couples, SB6239, Joseph Backholm of Preserve Marriage Washington filed Referendum 73 seeking to overturn the law.
Backholm said it will be an expensive and hard-fought campaign, but that he expects to prevail.
“I don’t think it’s that hard of a case to make,” he told reporters at the Office of Secretary of State. “There are lots of meaningful relationships that are not called marriage. Marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman and the children they raise.”
The referendum simply takes the exact language of the bill that the Legislature passed and Gregoire signed, and places it on the ballot.
The voter’s choice will be to affirm the law or to reject it – so essentially the sponsors who are bringing the referendum forward will be asking for a “reject” vote on their own measure.
Supporters of gay marriage will be asking for a vote to affirm the law.
The referendum needs 120,577 valid signatures.