Lawsuit filed to keep Referendum 71 off November ballot

Supporters of a state law expanding domestic partnership benefits for same-sex couples have filed a lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court, seeking to block Referendum 71 from the ballot.

R-71 asks voters whether to approve or reject the expanded benefits.

Washington Families Standing Together and Anne Levinson, its chairwoman, filed the lawsuit Thursday against both Secretary of State Sam Reed and Protect Marriage Washington, a group that opposes the expanded benefits.

Washington Families contend the secretary of state accepted tens of thousands of signatures it should not have, according to state law.

The group also contends Protect Marriage used deceptive practices to get people who actually support the expanded benefits into signing R-71 petitions, and that the petitions themselves included false information.

Washington Families had brought up similar concerns in a case it filed last week in King County Superior Court. On Wednesday, a King County judge acknowledged those concerns but said state law doesn't require the secretary of state to reject the questionable signatures, and that any challenges to the referendum would have to be filed in Thurston County.

David Ammons, spokesman for the Secretary of State's Office, said the lawsuit was expected. The plaintiffs "lost in King County with essentially the same arguments, the same concerns. Our attorneys would expect to prevail again and we expect the voters will be voting on R-71 this fall."

Gary Randall with Protect Marriage Washington said that, as far as he knew, deceptive practices were not used to gather signatures.