Date: Tue, 19 Dec 1995 10:04:24 -0800 (PST) From: Richard Isaac Subject: (WA) PUBLIC DISCLOSURE COMMISSION ISSUES DEADLINE TO I-166 BACKERS BIGOT BUSTERS DECLINE TO SIGN CAMPAIGN PRESS RELEASE 19 December 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: 767.2457 (24 hr. hotline) or: Patrick Hogan, Director or: Richard Isaac, Treasurer PUBLIC DISCLOSURE COMMISSION ISSUES DEADLINE TO I-166 BACKERS NEW VIOLATIONS DISCOVERED ON ANONYMOUS DONATION LIMIT BIGOT BUSTERS COMPLAINT ALLEGES OVER 175 VIOLATIONS OF LAW Bigot Busters/Decline to Sign lodged a formal complaint on November 29, 1995, against the Washington Committee for Equal Rights Not Special Rights (WCERNSR), the group behind anti-gay Initiative 166. More than 175 alleged violations of Public Disclosure Commission standards for political committees, for business conducted from January to September 1995, could put WCERNSR "in substantial non-compliance" with the law. All information leading to detection of WCERNSR's numerous violations was gathered from publicly available documents. The PDC is investigating the complaint, and has given the WCERNSR until Friday, December 22 to submit a response to the charges and its list of small contributors. It has also given the WCERNSR until Friday, December 29 to submit amended reports for the entire calendar year 1995. (December 29 is also the deadline for WCERNSR to submit its initiative petitions.) Once this information is submitted, the PDC will determine the penalties to be assessed, and will determine whether to hold February hearings on the alleged violations. It has also been found that the WCERNSR has also exceeded the 1% limit for anonymous contributions, an additional violation not included in the original complaint. The limit on anonymous contributions ensures that the sources of campaign funds are publicly known. Those violating the limit on anonymous contributions are required to turn the surplus over to the state treasury. In regard to the discovery of WCERNSR's violations, Bigot Busters Director Patrick Hogan said, "They're busted. The backers of Initiative 166 are not being straight with the people. Not in their campaign, and not in their financial reports. We're glad we caught them." Bigot Busters are trained rapid-response teams which provide voter education about anti-gay initiatives "at the point of sale" (where signatures are being gathered), in the hope that, having heard both sides of the issue, voters will decline to sign the discriminatory petitions. Bigot Busters operates a hotline (206-767-2457) which receives reports of sightings and is staffed by trained volunteers. Bigot Busters was founded in 1993 and was instrumental in the defeat of Initiatives 608 and 610 in the signature-gathering phase last year. This year, Bigot Busters has trained more than 200 volunteers since May. The misnamed Washington Committee for Equal Rights Not Special Rights is the organization behind Initiative 166, along with the Washington Public Affairs Council. I-166 is nearly a carbon copy of I-608 from last year, which failed to qualify for the ballot. It would: -*- legalize discrimination against sexual minorities, -*- abolish all existing anti-discrimiation protections (e.g. Seattle and King County), -*- overturn the state's hate crime law, -*- void domestic partnership benefits, and -*- censor schools, teachers and counselors from speaking accurately about homosexuality or providing factual AIDS education, thus putting at-risk children in danger and wresting away local control of school curricula. WCERNSR needs to gather 181,667 valid signatures by December 29, 1995 to pass I-166 on to the Legislature, which then may ONLY pass it into law or place it on the November 1996 ballot. The governor may NOT veto the legislation. -- END --