Judge retains reporting, gift limits for R-71 foes

October 27, 2009

U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton has refused to allow foes of Referendum 71 to keep their donors a secret and to lift the usual ban on contributions of over $5,000 or more during the final days of a campaign.

Family PAC is suing the state over two key provisions of the voter-approved Public Disclosure Act, a requirement for disclosure of donors of more than $25 and the ban on large donations during the last three weeks of a campaign. The group, which asks R-71 voters to reject the domestic partnership law passed by lawmakers last spring, says the reporting requirements are unconstitutional infringement on free political speech and could lead to retribution. The state, represented by the Attorney General, says the requirements are tightly drawn to give voters maximum information and to avoid a last-minute rush of campaign money. As a prelude to the main case, the judge ruled from the bench Tuesday against the challengers request for an exemption from the requirements during the last week of the campaign. He said no. Secretary of State Sam Reed, who is being sued by the same forces for his policy of releasing initiative and referendum petitions under the state's Public Records Act, is on record supporting the state's Public Disclosure Act and all of its requirements. Both laws were adopted by a 72 percent of the voters as Initiative 276 in 1972 and have broad public support, he says.

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