Washington Gay Rights Repeal FizzlesJune 6, 2006
(Olympia, Washington) A referendum on whether to overturn Washington's new gay rights law won't be on the November ballot.
The effort led by activist Tim Eyman failed to meet Tuesday's deadline to turn in at least 112,000 valid signatures to force a vote on the law that adds sexuality to the state's anti-discrimination law.
Eyman appeared at the state elections division just minutes before closing time Tuesday afternoon, and said he and other supporters had collected just over 105,000 signatures.
The announcement marked one of the few times that Eyman has failed to qualify a measure for the ballot.
Conservative churches had lined up to help Eyman's effort. More liberal churches had joined a coalition of gay-rights backers who planned to run a vigorous campaign to uphold the Legislature's new law, if the referendum had made it to the ballot.
With the referendum deadline past, the measure goes into law Wednesday, banning discrimination against gays and lesbians in housing, employment, insurance and credit.
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/06/060606warts.htm 
Melissa
