Approve Referendum 71
The Secretary of State’s office announced on Tuesday through their blog that they will conduct a complete verification of the entire petition rather than a 3 % sampling. While I think it is fantastic that every single signature will be scrutinized, it could be several weeks before we know the results.
It does not hurt to start thinking about the future. What if Referendum 71 does qualify for the ballot? What next? We need to switch our thinking from decline to sign to Approve Referendum 71, Preserve the Domestic Partnership Law. That’s right, Approve. This is how the referendum will look if it makes the ballot in November:
REFERENDUM 71
Ballot Title
Statement of Subject: The legislature passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 concerning rights and responsibilities of state-registered domestic partners [and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill].Concise Description: This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.
Should this bill be:
Approved ___
Rejected ___
Unfortunately misinformation is already creeping into the media, blogs, social networks, and voters’ minds. As an exercise in prudence and for the protection of our families and friends, let’s start talking about referendum 71 as if it was going to qualify for the ballot. Please start the conversation now because if we wait, it could be too late. In a post prop 8 world, supporters of equality are very used to saying “no”. I certainly understand the impulse to say no to the discrimination Larry Stickney and Gary Randall embody, but be clear when you are thinking about Referendum 71. It is not prop 8. It is different. Read it carefully and do not be tricked, because if we have learned anything by the petition gathering period we know that Randall and Stickney are more than willing to lie to get their way. If nothing else remember, approve equality, approve our rights, approve our families, approve our future, approve of the legislatures decision to give us equal rights, approve of the law the legislature passed in 2009, approve domestic partnerships, approve referendum 71.
One more time, say it with me now and say it loud, “I approve referendum 71 to preserve domestic partnerships!“ Great job! Now go say it to at least 10 people you know.
