Oregon 2008: Discriminatory Referendum

From the Oregonian:
A coalition, formed to oppose two recently passed gay-rights laws, took action Wednesday to refer the laws to voters in fall 2008.

The new political action committee -- called Defense of Marriage and Family, AGAIN! -- filed referendum papers with the secretary of state...

Jack Brown of Grants Pass, chairman of the Constitution Party, said he and two other petitioners will withdraw the referendum papers they filed Monday and join the coalition's efforts.

The coalition has a better chance of collecting the 55,179 signatures needed to refer each law, Brown said. The group, which must gather the signatures within 90 days after the Legislature adjourns, has a list of 129,000 households that supported Measure 36, Shannon said. 

The coalition is challenging Senate Bill 2, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, work and public places, such as restaurants, and House Bill 2007, which creates legal domestic partnerships, giving state benefits of marriage to same-sex couples. Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed the landmark bills into law last week.

If the coalition collects the required signatures, the effective date of the laws will be postponed from Jan. 1, 2008, until Oregonians vote on them in the Nov. 4, 2008, general election.