TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Opponents of the state’s expanded domestic partnerships for gay couples are heading back to federal court, hoping to block the release of signed referendum petitions.
U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle is holding a hearing Wednesday, where he may decide whether to continue blocking the names and addresses of people who signed Referendum 71 petitions. The referendum was approved last fall by voters.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that generally, the release of petition signatures does not violate constitutional rights. However, the court said Protect Marriage Washington could go back to the lower courts and try to prove that the release of their names would put them in danger.