This is how the right wing operates. It's a sad day in the state of Washington.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Local News | Wash. gay partnership foes turn in signatures | Seattle Times Newspaper
I am so sick and tired of this - read on......
Local News Wash. gay partnership foes turn in signatures
Seattle Times Newspaper
Sponsors of a campaign to overturn Washington state's domestic partnership law turned in their petition signatures Saturday and said they believe they have enough to force a public vote.
By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated Press Writer
OLYMPIA, Wash. —
Sponsors of a campaign to overturn Washington state's domestic partnership law turned in their petition signatures Saturday and said they believe they have enough to force a public vote.
The expanded "everything but marriage" domestic partnership law was scheduled to take effect Sunday, but is now delayed until the signatures can be counted, a process that could take up to a month.
To qualify for the November ballot, supporters of Referendum 71 must have 120,577 voter signatures. Supporters say they have about 138,000 signatures.
"I feel our signatures are pretty clean," said campaign spokesman Gary Randall.
If they have enough signatures, the law will be delayed until the outcome of the referendum. If they fall short, the domestic partnership expansion will immediately take effect.
The signatures were turned in a day after opponents of the new law announced a final push to force a public vote, calling their effort "too close to call" and asking people to show up on Saturday at the Capitol to turn in their signatures to the secretary of state's office.
Greg MacPherson of Kent, Wash. said he drove two hours in traffic to turn in about a dozen signatures.
"We want to stand up and be counted," he said.
The new domestic partnership law expands on Washington's existing partnerships. The newest version adds registered domestic partners to all remaining areas of state law that presently apply only to married couples. Those statutes range from adoption and child support rights and obligations, to pensions and other public employee benefits.
The underlying domestic partnership law, which passed the Legislature two years ago, provided hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations, and inheritance rights when there is no will.
Last year, lawmakers expanded it to give domestic partners standing under laws covering probate and trusts, community property and guardianship.
Josh Friedes, a spokesman for Washington Families Standing Together, said that if the referendum does end up on the ballot, he is optimistic that voters will retain the law.
"We need to have a conversation about the needs of gay and lesbian families," he said. "So in some ways, this referendum brings to the foreground a lot of issues, and to that extent the dialogue can propel the movement forward."
A political group called WhoSigned.Org has already said it will publish online the names of people who signed petitions. The petition-listing effort is not supported by the official campaign trying to keep R-71 off the ballot.
---
The domestic partnership bill is Senate Bill 5688.
---
On the Net:
Legislature: http://www.leg.wa.gov
Washington Families Standing Together: http://www.wafst.org
Protect Marriage Washington: http://www.protectmarriagewa.com/
Domestic partnership information: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/corps/domesticpartnerships
WhoSigned.Org: http://www.whosigned.org
Copyright © The Seattle Times Company
Local News Wash. gay partnership foes turn in signatures
Seattle Times Newspaper
Sponsors of a campaign to overturn Washington state's domestic partnership law turned in their petition signatures Saturday and said they believe they have enough to force a public vote.
By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated Press Writer
OLYMPIA, Wash. —
Sponsors of a campaign to overturn Washington state's domestic partnership law turned in their petition signatures Saturday and said they believe they have enough to force a public vote.
The expanded "everything but marriage" domestic partnership law was scheduled to take effect Sunday, but is now delayed until the signatures can be counted, a process that could take up to a month.
To qualify for the November ballot, supporters of Referendum 71 must have 120,577 voter signatures. Supporters say they have about 138,000 signatures.
"I feel our signatures are pretty clean," said campaign spokesman Gary Randall.
If they have enough signatures, the law will be delayed until the outcome of the referendum. If they fall short, the domestic partnership expansion will immediately take effect.
The signatures were turned in a day after opponents of the new law announced a final push to force a public vote, calling their effort "too close to call" and asking people to show up on Saturday at the Capitol to turn in their signatures to the secretary of state's office.
Greg MacPherson of Kent, Wash. said he drove two hours in traffic to turn in about a dozen signatures.
"We want to stand up and be counted," he said.
The new domestic partnership law expands on Washington's existing partnerships. The newest version adds registered domestic partners to all remaining areas of state law that presently apply only to married couples. Those statutes range from adoption and child support rights and obligations, to pensions and other public employee benefits.
The underlying domestic partnership law, which passed the Legislature two years ago, provided hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations, and inheritance rights when there is no will.
Last year, lawmakers expanded it to give domestic partners standing under laws covering probate and trusts, community property and guardianship.
Josh Friedes, a spokesman for Washington Families Standing Together, said that if the referendum does end up on the ballot, he is optimistic that voters will retain the law.
"We need to have a conversation about the needs of gay and lesbian families," he said. "So in some ways, this referendum brings to the foreground a lot of issues, and to that extent the dialogue can propel the movement forward."
A political group called WhoSigned.Org has already said it will publish online the names of people who signed petitions. The petition-listing effort is not supported by the official campaign trying to keep R-71 off the ballot.
---
The domestic partnership bill is Senate Bill 5688.
---
On the Net:
Legislature: http://www.leg.wa.gov
Washington Families Standing Together: http://www.wafst.org
Protect Marriage Washington: http://www.protectmarriagewa.com/
Domestic partnership information: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/corps/domesticpartnerships
WhoSigned.Org: http://www.whosigned.org
Copyright © The Seattle Times Company
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Hoh River Rain Forest
Washington really is a beautiful state. If you visit a must do drive is the drive that we took today around the Olympic Peninsula. The Olympic National Park is huge and has a ton of intreasting things to do. It makes for a full day. We left our house this morning around 8 a.m. and will not get home until after 11 p.m.
Thought I would share a few pictures that we took today.
Look for the four leaf clover!
The rain forest was pretty cool.
Kent and Sylvia on one of the short hikes we took.
Old tree trunk in the forest.
Headed home!
Jim
-- Posted on the run from my iPhone.
Thought I would share a few pictures that we took today.
Look for the four leaf clover!
The rain forest was pretty cool.
Kent and Sylvia on one of the short hikes we took.
Old tree trunk in the forest.
Headed home!
Jim
-- Posted on the run from my iPhone.
Hurricane Ridge
Kent's Mom is in town so we are visiting Hurricane Ridge and the Rain Forest.
Toby enjoying the view at Hurricane Ridge.
Kent and his Mom Sylvia at Hurricane Ridge.
Me at Hurricane Ridge.
The wildflowers are in full bloom and very beautiful right now.
Later - Jim
Posted on the run from my iPhone.
Toby enjoying the view at Hurricane Ridge.
Kent and his Mom Sylvia at Hurricane Ridge.
Me at Hurricane Ridge.
The wildflowers are in full bloom and very beautiful right now.
Later - Jim
Posted on the run from my iPhone.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
First Train Open Public
Kent and I on the first public run of the new link light rail from Tukwila to Seattle.
-- Post on the run from my iPhone.
-- Post on the run from my iPhone.
Riding King County's New Light Rail
Today is the long awaited opening of the first leg of the new Link Light Rail! It's very exciting! It has been a long time coming after years of watching it be built. We got here early enough to hopefully be in the very first car from Tukwila to downtown Seattle. I will post a few pictures later!
This is a picture of the new Tukwila station.
There is a lot of great public art.
We just confirmed that we will be on the very first train open to the public! Below is a picture of Kent standing in line ready for the experience!
More later-
Jim
Posted on the run from my iPhone.
This is a picture of the new Tukwila station.
There is a lot of great public art.
We just confirmed that we will be on the very first train open to the public! Below is a picture of Kent standing in line ready for the experience!
More later-
Jim
Posted on the run from my iPhone.
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