Date: Tue, 10 Jan 1995 09:41:18 -0800 (PST)
From: Richard Isaac <rmisaac@eskimo.com>
Subject: INITIATIVE FILED IN WASHINGTON STATE TO PREVENT ADOPTIONS BY GAYS AND LESBIANS
An initiative was filed on Monday, Jan. 9, 1995 with the Secretary of 
State of the State of Washington which would prohibit adoptions by gays 
and lesbians.  

The initiative was filed by Sam Woodard, Chairman of the Citizens' 
Alliance of Washington, which sponsored Initiative 610 last year, which 
failed to qualify for the November ballot.  The initiative requires that 
181,667 valid signatures be gathered by July 9, 1995.  Woodard also filed 
another initiative relaxing taxes on guns.

The Committee for Equal Rights Not Special Rights, which sponsored 
Initiative 608 last year (which also failed to qualify for the ballot, 
but was generally considered to have come closer to collecting the 
necessary signatures), is expected to re-file the text of I-608 in early 
March.  In this case, the initiative is expected to be "to the 
legislature" (as opposed to "to the people"), in which case the deadline 
for signature gathering will be Dec. 31, 1995 (not July 9).  If enough 
signatures are gathered, there are then three options provided for by the 
state constitution: 1) the Legislature may pass the initiative as 
written; 2) the Legislature may put the initiative on the ballot (in this 
case, in November 1996); 3) the Legislature may put the initiative on the 
ballot with an alternative initiative.  The governor's signature is not 
required to pass the initiative into law.

Local organizations are gearing up to oppose these initiatives, among 
them Hands Off Washington (206 322 5191) and Bigot Busters (206 325 
2286).  Donations of time and money are greatly needed.

       *  Richard Isaac  
    __*_*___
    \*   * /    Seattle
    *\    * 
   ***\**/**    rmisaac
       \/   @eskimo.com