Oregon Public Broadcasting

Opponents of gay domestic partnerships in  Washington plan to move ahead with collecting signatures for a fall ballot measure.

They’ve dropped a technical challenge to the wording of the ballot title.

Referendum 71 seeks to repeal Washington’s latest domestic partnership law. Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins reports.

Earlier this year, majority Democrats in the Washington legislature passed the third domestic partnership bill in as many years.

It gives same-sex and older heterosexual couples who register with the state the same rights and responsibilities as married couples.

Opponents want Washington voters to decide this November whether the law should take effect.

This week referendum backers had intended to go to court to challenge the words that voters would read when deciding whether to vote for or against the measure. But Gary Randall with the Faith and Freedom Network says the court challenge has been abandoned.

Instead, Referendum 71 supporters will start gathering signatures.

They need more than 120,000 valid voters to sign petitions by July 25th in order to make it on the ballot.