Oregon Public Broadcasting

The legal battle over Referendum 71 petitions in Washington – and whether they should be released to the public – is not over yet.

Thursday a federal judge in Tacoma ordered the petitions sealed to protect the people who signed them.

Friday, Attorney General Rob McKenna announced he will immediately appeal that ruling to the 9th circuit. Speaking by cell phone, McKenna says signing a referendum petition is a public act.

Rob McKenna: “Just as we don't run our legislative processes in the House and Senate in secret, it's not appropriate to operate the initiative and referendum process in secret.”

McKenna says Judge Benjamin Settle's ruling sets a bad precedent.

R-71 is the ballot measure that asks Washington voters whether to approve the state's new law expanding benefits for same-sex and senior-citizen domestic partners.

A gay activist in Seattle has vowed to publish the names of petition signers on the Internet.