R-71 Passes!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
R-71 Passes!
1
Tue, 11-10-2009 - 3:15pm

Looks like everything in our local election worked out well...Dow Constantine beat Susan (think "sarah palin") Hutchinson for King Co. Executive; Mike McGinn was finally declared the winner last night in the Seattle Mayoral race; Initiative 1033 (a make the rich richer initiative by our local freak Tim "I"man) failed; and....R-71 PASSED!  It might not be same-sex marriage, but at least it's much closer than it used to be!  Even better, it's VOTER approved so the right-wingers can't whine about the gov't 'mandating' it!!  YAY!



Voters approve Referendum 71

Washington state voters have approved Referendum 71, keeping a law that expands state benefits for registered same-sex and some senior domestic partners.


By Janet I. Tu


Seattle Times staff reporter




Washington state voters have approved Referendum 71, keeping a law that expands state benefits for registered same-sex and some senior domestic partners.


The tally late Thursday afternoon saw the vote to approve R-71 leading about 52 percent to 48 percent.


That lead now appears insurmountable. The Secretary of State's Office estimates another 500,000 to 600,000 ballots statewide are still outstanding, with about half expected from King County, where the measure is being approved by slightly more than 2 to 1.


"Voters across the state listened to the personal stories of lesbian and gay families and the challenges they faced and sent a strong message that we want to see all families treated equally under the law in our state," said Anne Levinson, chairwoman of Washington Families Standing Together, which worked for the measure's approval.



http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010212278_webref7106m.html


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The WeatherPixie
6yrvolunteer 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Wed, 11-11-2009 - 8:47am

See Maine's gays are having problems.........


Maine vote seen as a setback for state's gays


After last week's vote in Maine tossed out a state law granting gays and lesbians the right to marry and voter approval of a Washington state law granting its gay couples "everything but marriage," gays and lesbians in Northern Colorado are a bit circumspect about the implications those votes have on Colorado.





"It's another tough pill to swallow," Andy Stoll, director of the Lambda Center in Fort Collins, said of the Maine vote. "I think we were really hopeful. There was a national focus on trying to keep that law in place."


The Maine vote is seen widely by gay rights groups as a setback, but it's not one that can't be overcome, said Mindy Barton, a board member of Equal Rights Colorado, a legislative advocacy and lobbying group. More.......


http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20091111/NEWS01/911110344/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02

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