The Buzz

By Jim Baum

Chair, 5^th District Democrats

The Washington state legislature yesterday passed same-sex marriage. So what’s next?

Approval of same-sex marriages in this state is hardly the last we will hear of this issue. Now that the legislature has acted, all that needs to happen is for Gov. Gregoire to sign it and Washington will become the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage, right? (Actually, technically we will be the eighth if you count the few months that same-sex marriage was legal in California before Proposition 8 passed in 2008.)

(See our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/5th-Dems/360998598554  for the latest in our district on the legislature’s debate. Our local representative’s outspoken position might – or might not — surprise you. It definitely reaffirms our need to bring Rep. Jay Rodne home from Olympia.)

But this is not the end of this debate in this state, by a long shot. First, the law will almost surely be put on hold. The anti-same-sex marriage forces have already announced they intend to use the referendum process to put the issue on November’s ballot.

An initiative has also been filed by Stephen Pidgeon that seeks to change the definition of marriage from “a male and a female” to “one man and one woman.” Pidgeon, who is also a candidate for Washington Attorney General, intends to proceed with his initiative regardless of whether or not a referendum is filed. Pidgeon acted in conjunction with James Bopp. If you are not familiar with Mr. Bopp, check out this Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bopp. He’s an extreme Right Wing activist who has served as an advisor for Mitt Romney. Need I say more?

This could set up a confusing choice for voters and a clear potential for the passage of conflicting laws. This year, supporters of the referendum have until June 6 to collect 120,577 valid signatures in order to qualify a measure for the November ballot. Backers of the initiative have a month longer to collect twice as many valid signatures — 241,153 — by July 6.

The anti-same sex marriage forces like to remind people that in the 31 states where same-sex marriage has been on the ballot that same-sex marriage has never been approved by the voters. Most of these ballot measures were during the 2004 election cycle and Ken Mehlman, former Bush campaign chief and Republican national chairman who has since come out as a gay man, has said they were pushed by the Republican party as a way to bring out conservative voters – not because same-sex marriage was the issue.

What the anti-same sex marriage folks do not like to talk about is that Washington state beat them at the ballot box by confirming Referendum 71 – extending the rights of domestic partnerships to the LGBT community – in 2009.

WHAT’S HAPPENING ELSEWHERE?

             Here’s what is going on in other states:

•  North Carolina: Same-sex marriage is on the ballot in North Carolina this May 8. The measure is so broad it could affect any recognition of same-sex relationships.
• Minnesota: Minnesota has a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage on the November ballot.
• Maine: Maine has a measure that would restore same-sex marriage to that state after it was taken away by the voters in 2009, despite already having been passed by the legislature.
• New Jersey: The New Jersey legislature is on the verge of passing same-sex marriage but Gov. Christy has promised a veto.
• Maryland: Maryland’s legislature is about to pass a same-sex marriage bill and their governor has promised to sign it.
• New Hampshire: In New Hampshire, the newly elected Republican veto-proof majority in the legislature has said they intend to reverse legal same-sex marriage in their state, but have continued to delay a vote on that bill. New Hampshire’s Gov. Lynch has said he will veto such legislation and there are rifts forming between Republicans in the legislature that could end their hopes of overriding his veto.
• California: In California, Proposition 8 has been found to be unconstitutional in federal district and circuit courts. The ruling was narrowly defined but has the potential to impact whether or not a referendum here could overturn our new same-sex marriage law.

So off to the ballot box we go. It appears same-sex marriage has reached the tipping point and there is little doubt it will soon be recognized in most, if not all, of the United States. We in Washington are now going to be on the knife’s edge of that battle.

The voters of Washington were the first to approve same sex relationship rights at the polls when we confirmed Referendum 71 three years ago. Will we be the first in the nation to pass same-sex marriage by a public vote?

The voters of Washington state can lead the way out of the negative stigma gay relationships have suffered. Someone is going to do it. Let’s work to insure it is us.