Just North of Something Important: Washington State and gay marriage
- Some of the cheering seems a bit premature; not only is it not actually law yet - the governor still has to sign the thing - but it’s likely that it won’t be law even once that happens. Due to the state’s reprehensible referendum system, if opponents can collect enough signatures the bill will…
All this yes, BUT and ALSO:
1) Recent WA Supreme Court and 9th Circuit rulings that the names of people who sign such repugnant petitions and referendums are public information and therefore, publishable. People are a hell of a lot LESS likely to sign that referendum recalling same sex marriage if they know that their name will be published as an opponent of equal marriage.
2) Yesterday’s 9th Circuit opinion on Prop. 8 dealt a pretty severe blow to folks who think you can referendum around civil rights.
But I agree with what you said, especially the muted reactions.
