Names, addresses of Referendum 71 donors not exempt from public disclosure

The names and addresses of donors to Referendum 71 will not be exempt from public disclosure, the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission decided today.

The request to remove the names was made earlier this month by Protect Marriage Washington, the group backing Referendum 71, which seeks to put newly expanded domestic partnership benefits up to a public vote in November.

The group had asked the state to redact and seal the names, addresses and occupations of donors, citing threats of violence against supporters and churches. Donors' information had already been made public, in accordance with state law.

The commission said Protect Marriage Washington had not proved that disclosure of donors' names would result in "manifestly unreasonable hardship" to contributors.

While Protect Marriage Washington did provide the commission with some threatening e-mails and blog postings, it "provided no evidence from or about donors that have demonstrated that they have received threats of violence against their lives or property," or that they were being targeted for boycotts, PDC assistant director Doug Ellis said during the hearing.

Moreover, the commission decided, removing the names would thwart the purpose of the public disclosure law: To avoid secrecy in campaigns.

Today's decision comes amid an increasingly heated campaign.

The Legislature last spring expanded the state's domestic partnership law, giving registered same-sex partners the same state benefits as married couples. R-71 would ask voters whether to approve that law or rescind it.

At least 120,577 valid signatures are needed for R-71 to qualify for the November ballot.

The Secretary of State's office predicts it will complete its check of the 137,689 signatures submitted by Protect Marriage Washington by Tuesday.