Two groups will seek your signatures on referenda over the next few weeks.
Both will have a hard time getting their measures onto the November ballot.
Referendum 70 is an attempt to repeal the national-popular-vote law. R-71 seeks to overturn the everything-but-marriage additions to the state domestic-partnership law.
Both laws would take effect July 25 unless referendum sponsors can gather 120,577 valid signatures to suspend either, pending a public vote in November.
Having two referendum drives is rare. The state has had only 71 referendum filings in 96 years, and some — like one this year — have been withdrawn.
Since the first initiatives and referenda were filed in 1913, we’ve had 1,050 numbered initiatives to the people, but only 71 numbered referendum measures.
Sponsors of both referenda face uphill battles. Referendum petitions are confusing because they look as though a signer is in favor of the measure. In addition, R-70 seeks to overturn a confusing law, and R-71 seeks signatures from a divided constituency.
R-71 divides gay marriage opponents
Not all of the usual opponents of same-sex unions support Referendum 71.
Pastor Joe Futen of the Cedar Park Church in Bothell opposed filing the referendum. He told R-71 sponsors that having the referendum on the ballot will hurt the cause; he thinks the referendum would lose in November, weakening opposition to an actual gay-marriage proposal in future years.
Other conservatives believe that concern about current economic conditions will push social issues aside this year.
Groups that were unable to get enough signatures for a referendum three years ago against a law adding sexual orientation to civil rights law protections will have a harder time this year. Not only are they no longer united, but also the required number of signatures is higher.
Legislature made the right cuts in performance audits
The state Legislature made the right move with steep cuts to the state auditor’s budget.
The steepest cuts came in money for performance audits. That has led to calls for Gov. Gregoire to veto the budget cuts. She shouldn’t.
Tim Eyman, sponsor of the initiative that gave the auditor the authority and money to conduct performance audits, says the Legislature’s actions violate the will of the voters. It does, but no more than cuts to teacher raises and class-size reduction.
The cuts to money for performance audits may have been aimed at the current auditor. That’s understandable. Auditor Brian Sonntag has used the performance-audit power to make himself a super policy maker for government agencies. Performance audits should tell us whether an agency is doing what it is supposed to do and whether it is doing its job efficiently. Instead Sonntag has used them to propose agency priorities.
Evan Smith can be reached at entopinion@heraldnet.com.
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