The news out of Washington state is that Washington United for Marriage, the campaign defending the state’s new marriage equality law by supporting approval of Referendum 74, has outpaced the anti-equality campaign Preserve Marriage Washington 13 to 1 in fundraising. Don’t believe it. Preserve Marriage Washington and their parent organization, National Organization for Marriage, have [...]

Can an inactive PAC advocate against a candidate on the website of a 501(c)3 organization? Today anti-gay activist Gary Randall posted the text below on his blog. The blog is a project of Faith and Freedom Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit. 501(c)3s are not allowed to advocate for or against particular candidates. It sure looks to [...]

The monthly campaign expenditure numbers came out last night and are reported on the Washington Public Disclosure Commission’s website.  As predicted, radical-right extremists have dumped last-minute money into the race.  Family Policy Institute of Washington plopped $200,000 into the mysterious new PAC called “Vote Reject on R-71″ that appeared late last week.  FPIW bills itself [...]

You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?  –  Jesus All this news about militant heterosexualists fraudulently “signing” R-71 petition declarations with Larry Stickney’s signature stamp got me thinking: where had I seen pen-wielding people mulling over the backs of petitions?  Aah yes, [...]

UPDATE July 16th @ 8:45 am PST: Pastor Randall’s lawbreaking continues into Day 6, according to PDC website. UPDATE2 July 16th @ 1:00 pm PST: F&F PAC finally submitted their report about an hour ago (and 6 days late!) claiming they thought they were to use the candidate reporting schedule, according to a PDC employee. [...]

Political Action Committees operating within Washington on state or local elections must file regular donation and expense reports with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC).  A PDC employee with whom I just spoke confirms that PDC has not received Faith & Freedom PAC’s expenditure report for June.  It was due 3 days ago, on July 10th. [...]

Please continue to support the R-71 effort if at all possible. Our expenses are significant…PLEASE contribute to this effort with a donation as soon as possible.   Sincerely, Larry Stickney, Manager Protect Marriage Washington [6/13/9009] ka-CHING!!!  According to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission, Larry Stickney’s misnamed Protect Marriage Washington, the organization behind Washington’s anti-family Referendum [...]

CORRECTION:  An astute Blend reader has notified me that the reporting deadline for expenses incurred in June by referendum PACs is July 10th.  I’ve re-read the PDC documents, and he is correct.  I have, therefore, made a regrettable error in calling out Stickney and Randall for not yet reporting their printing and related expenses.  They [...]

Petition fraud is a serious and ongoing problem in many states, and anti-equality forces have been known to use unethical or illegal methods of filling up their petitions.  Methods range from the simple copying of names and addresses from phone books or other petitions, to bait & switch, where the signature gatherer misrepresents the intent [...]

For the second time this year, Washington’s Governor Chris Gregoire has had the honor of advancing civil rights with her mighty pen. Governor Gregoire has been a steadfast ally.  Here is what she said when the House passed SB 5688, the Domestic Partnership Expansion Bill of 2009: “I want to thank the legislators who worked [...]