This Washington
Re: Prop 8 Ruling. State Sen. Ed Murray Contemplates Ballot Measure
Obviously there's big news out of San Francisco today where a federal judge, Vaughn Walker, ruled that California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
The NYT reports:
Chris Grygiel at the PI.com interviewed Washignton state Rep. Jamie Pedersen (D-43, Capitol Hill) a lead sponsor on Washington's domestic partners laws which have made gay couples equal when it comes to rights and responsibilities, but stop short of allowing marriage. The laws withstood a citizens' repeal effort last year, R-71.
Grygiel talked to Pedersen about what the California ruling could mean for Washington state's own push for gay marriage.
State Sen. Ed Murray (D-43, Capitol Hill), Pedersen's colleague on gay rights issues (both legislators are gay), tells PubliCola that gay marriage is definitely in play—maybe even for the ballot.
"The question is," Murray says, "do we want to put it on the ballot?" (He says, just like last year, he will introduce a gay marriage bill in the legislature.)
"The real strategy has to be around the ballot," he says. "It [today's Prop. 8 ruling] adds energy for a potential future ballot measure. All these efforts to move forward, regardless of the state, help. Other states help us and we help them."
The NYT reports:
"Proposition 8 cannot survive any level of scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause," wrote Mr. Walker. "Excluding same-sex couples from marriage is simply not rationally related to a legitimate state interest."
Chris Grygiel at the PI.com interviewed Washignton state Rep. Jamie Pedersen (D-43, Capitol Hill) a lead sponsor on Washington's domestic partners laws which have made gay couples equal when it comes to rights and responsibilities, but stop short of allowing marriage. The laws withstood a citizens' repeal effort last year, R-71.
Grygiel talked to Pedersen about what the California ruling could mean for Washington state's own push for gay marriage.
State Sen. Ed Murray (D-43, Capitol Hill), Pedersen's colleague on gay rights issues (both legislators are gay), tells PubliCola that gay marriage is definitely in play—maybe even for the ballot.
"The question is," Murray says, "do we want to put it on the ballot?" (He says, just like last year, he will introduce a gay marriage bill in the legislature.)
"The real strategy has to be around the ballot," he says. "It [today's Prop. 8 ruling] adds energy for a potential future ballot measure. All these efforts to move forward, regardless of the state, help. Other states help us and we help them."
